Merlin's Merlin
by MythologyStar
Summary: Merlin saves a falcon hatchling, where he finds a companion. But he also manages to seal something completely different: a new fate. Set between season 4 and 5 - 2 months after the beginning of Arthur and Guinevere's reign. *NO SLASH* Part I of the Merlin's Destiny series.
1. Prologue

**(A/N)** Hi! This is my first FanFic, I hope whoever reads this enjoys it! :) More chapters will be coming as this is only the prologue, I promise I won't forget to update! :)

* * *

 _Prologue_

The day was nice and warm, the sun shining in the clear blue of the sky and the slight breeze making the long grass in the meadow sway. The meadow was surrounded by trees and dotted with patches of wildflowers and the occasional boulder. It was perfect.

Perfect for hunting.

The snake had positioned itself in the shadow of a sun-warmed rock. Close enough that it was hidden, but not so far that it was not warmed by the heat radiating off it.

 _There!_

A quiet rustle in the grass, not two meters in front of his head. Sliding the tip of his forked tongue out to taste the air, tensing in excitement at the scent of a mouse. The grass rustled again, this time it was closer. Then the tips of two brown ears peeked out.

Quietly slithering forwards, the snake braced its muscles. The mouse lay oblivious to the impending death hovering near, merely continuing on its forage for food, it was just asking for death!

Coiling the lower part of its body, the serpent prepared to strike. He would strangle the mouse as the potent venom in his fangs took its toll, killing it from the inside.

Then out of the very corner of his eye, the snake saw the flash of dark feathers. A wing.

A falcon was perched on a nearby pine tree, her sharp gaze focused on the reptile.

He froze in alarm at the sight, and then relaxed slightly, realising that the falcon had not been looking at him, but immediately tensed again as the bird suddenly dove out of the tree.

Panicking, the he slithered rapidly to its original position at the shadow of the rock, only to look back just in time to see her outstretched talons wrap around the mouse. A small shriek was the last thing the mouse ever did.

It soured in disappointment. Now he would have to watch the falcon eat on the ground in front of him, all the while she scared away any other prey. What a waste of a perfectly good morning!

Yet instead of eating it, the bird merely took off with the mouse. Curious, he followed her route with his glossy black eyes, watching as the falcon flew to the far side of the meadow, landing near a brown blob in a tree.

The brown blob was a nest.

Another potential meal.


	2. Chapter 1

**(A/N)-** Thanks for all who followed and favorited, it means a lot. And for all those who told me to reduce the author's notes, sorry! I tried!

The next update should be sometime during the next week or so!

* * *

Chapter 1

"You can go now." Arthur said as he waved the back of his hand in clear dismissal.

Merlin blinked, vaguely wondering if he had heard him wrong, "What?"

Merlin had just begun to serve lunch for Arthur and Gwen in their chambers. Arthur had insisted for a private luncheon for goodness knows why, yet Merlin had assumed that he'd stay and keep them company, as he always did. Seems he was wrong.

Arthur frowned at him from the table where he and Guinevere sat, "You heard me, Merlin. Take the rest of the day off if you want, I can always get George to fill in for you."

Now _this_ was worrying, Arthur would _never_ give him a day off! Then he grinned as a thought struck him. No, Arthur wouldn't, unless…

He glanced at Gwen, who was trying to hide a smile at his reaction, then looking back to Arthur he cheekily asked, "Did Gwen put you up to this?"

Merlin didn't even bother to hide his mirth when he saw Arthur huff and turn away, blushing furiously. And he laughed all the harder when he saw that Arthur was at a loss for words! It was rare as it was for anyone to see the King rendered speechless!

Gwen finally decided to speak up, "You can't blame me, Merlin!" Then she began laughing in earnest at her husband's predicament "Arthur has been working you hard recently, and so I thought you should get a break!"

Merlin smiled fondly at Gwen. Of course it would be Gwen who would do something like that for him. After all, it was her kind and caring nature that had captivated Arthur's heart and made her one of his best friends.

Turning to exit the room, Merlin looked back to see her smiling at him. "Thank you, Gwen." He murmured gently. He hoped that she would know just how much she meant to him.

Unbeknownst to him, Gwen had heard the deeper meaning, and she smiled all the more because of it.

* * *

"Back so soon, Merlin?" Asked Gaius with a raised eyebrow as Merlin entered the chambers without knocking. (As he always did) "I thought you had to stay and serve lunch?" He added the last statement with some incredulity.

"I did!" Merlin insisted indignantly as he sat down at the table. "Well, I was. Arthur gave me the day off, you see."

Merlin was suddenly aware of being under extreme scrutiny from Gaius, who was still giving him his famous eyebrow look.

"Well, fine," Merlin sighed "Gwen got Arthur to do it. Although I'd wish he'd actually give me a genuine one." He admitted. And with that, he seemed to sink into his own thoughts, lost.

Not for long, though, He was abruptly brought out of his trance by a loud _thunk_ of a basket hitting the table.

A basket?

"Well seeing that you haven't got anything to do for the rest of the afternoon, you might as well make yourself useful!

"Why? Can't I practice?" Merlin complained, "I'd much rather do that!"

"Merlin," Gaius was stern now, "you have to get out sometime!"

Merlin's only response was a sigh

"Besides, the other option is to clean the leech tank."

Another sigh.

"Right," Gaius began to rattle of a long list of herbs, "I need hogwart and fenugreek for Sir Edwin's leg, and lady's mantle and yarrow for a pain relief concoction. Oh! And, some comfrey!"

"Is that all?" Asked a disgruntled Merlin at the end of it, furiously making mental notes about the various plants. Gaius hid a smile at his expression.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" He remarked in a deadpanned voice.

Merlin threw up his hands in mock-surrender "No! Anything but that!"

Gaius gave Merlin a rare smile before he left for the forest.

* * *

The snake waited until the falcon had left to get more food before making its move.

Once it was certain that the falcon had gone, cautiously, it slithered towards the tree.

Anticipating what was to come.

* * *

"Hogwart… check, fenugreek… check, lady's mantle and yarrow… check. Comfrey... just comfrey, then.

Merlin had just spent the past hour or so collecting the various herbs that Gaius needed. And he'd nearly finished, all he needed was comfrey.

Contrary to what he'd led everyone else to believe, Merlin enjoyed collecting herbs in Camelot's surrounding forest. He'd always felt at peace there, even in the direst of circumstances. And he could practically feel the forest come alive in his presence, becoming brighter and cheerful as he walked among nature. It was peaceful

Picking his basket, now laden with herbs, he trudged through the undergrowth of the forest, constantly looking out for the distinctive bell-shaped violet blossoms of comfrey.

 _There!_ A large clump of comfrey growing next to a rock, its violet blossoms peeking out from the leaves. The flowers gently swayed as Merlin walked up to it, as if saying hello.

He grinned at the sight. If everyone could learn to appreciate little things in life like this, there would be less violence and warfare in the world.

Just as he bent down to pick the leaves, a loud screech made his blood run cold. He jumped to his feet just as it came again. It wasn't a human. Had to be an animal, perhaps a bird, of some sort.

Reaching for his magic, Merlin's eyes flashed gold as his magic sight zoomed way ahead of him. At first there was nothing but trees. Then the trees began to thin out, then a meadow filled with long grass and flowers. _Wait!_ He stopped his magic sight just in time to see a serpent in a tree strike at a falcon.

He watched in horror as the bird tumbled from the tree, hitting the ground hard with an ominous _crunch_.

Merlin ended the spell, and the moment his eyes turned blue he raced towards the tree, leaving the basket behind.

He had never ran as fast as this before in his life! Weaving through trees and jumping over rocks without his usual clumsiness. He didn't slow, even though his chest burned with the effort.

When he finally burst through the trees with into the small clearing where he had seen the snake strike at the falcon, the first thing he saw was the twitching mass of feathers on the ground.

The falcon, seeing him cried out in desperation, she wanted him to help! But she didn't want him to help her.

 _What?_ _How do I know she wants me to help?_

The falcon screeched again, this time weaker, but she was no longer looking at Merlin.

Merlin followed her stare. His gaze landed on the nest in the tree. The snake he had seen using his magic sight was there, high up and curled around the nest, leering down at the hatchlings below. The viper didn't seem to particularly notice that Merlin was there, or even care. Instead its head shot forwards to strike at one of the helpless babies. The instant he saw the snake make a threatening move, any control Merlin previously had on his magic was gone, and his instinctual magic inside of him flared.

At that moment Merlin's magic decided upon one thought. One very simple thought.

The snake would pay.


	3. Chapter 2

**(A/N)-** Right! There are going to be a few spells in this whopper of a chapter! Will attach a number and write down the translation at the end of it all. None of them, I'm afraid, come from Merlin Wiki spells, because I'm using a translator (link is there). If anyone can suggest a better translator, go ahead!

NC- Thank you again for the wonderful review! It makes me happy to see it! :)

Shadowdragon1317-Ooooh Sorry you couldn't find it!

RandomReviewer- Errr no! I'm afraid that wasn't it! Saphira says tooth and claw, not tooth and nail!

NC- Thank you, thank you, thank you, and in case you didn't get it the first time, thank you for your wonderful reviews!

Lya200- Congratulations! You found it!

ChickenMan MAN- Yes! You found it!

Right, for those who couldn't find the reference, it was "She relaxed and passed into the void." as the Elves, or älfakyn use the term for death.

Congratulations to Lya200 and ChickenMan MAN for finding the reference! Virtual cookies to them

* * *

 **UPDATE!**

Not many people will see this, but I am stumped. I don't know what to name the bird, so can all of you guys leave suggestions in a review or PM? Because I'm not kidding, I actually don't know what to call her... Help is _greatly_ appreciated!

 **Edit, 25/04/2017 - I've been going through all of these, and I realised just how much I've improved since I first posted the first few chapters!**

* * *

Chapter 3

 _At that moment, Merlin's magic decided upon one thought. A very simple though._

 _The snake would pay_

* * *

Whenever Merlin ever looked back at the scene that unfolded on that day, he would always be amazed and awed at the way his instinctual magic reacted without any conscious thought or consideration whatsoever.

Even though Merlin had interpreted the plea from the mother falcon accurately, his magic had surged with rage. Rage, not protective motives, though it hadn't mattered in the end.

* * *

All three hatchlings were still, yet only two were dead, the last one had merely frozen in terror with its fearful eyes still fixated on the danger above.

The snake knew that if would only take a quick jerk of his head, and there would be three dead birds. Satisfaction filled him, the mother was helpless, if not dead! Nothing would stop him!

Time to strike.

Baring his fangs in a ferocious hiss, he reared and his head shot downwards in a deadly arc. The sheer power of the strike would crack several of the delicate bones in the baby bird like twigs. If it somehow survived that, the venom would kill it eventually. His sharp fangs would cut through the feeble muscles and tendons on impact like a knife through butter, piercing through skin and drawing blood.

He never made it.

 _Crack!_

His head was jerked backward. He was falling...

The serpent was dead before its body hit the ground.

* * *

Merlin's magic had chosen the quickest, yet most brutal way to kill the snake without harming the bird in the nest.

With an intense flash of his eyes, a pebble near the base of the tree shot upwards with enough force to crack diamonds.

 _Crunch!_

The next thing he knew was the body of a long snake crashing from the tree and landing with a _thump_ not a yard from the unmoving body of the mother falcon. For a long moment, Merlin just stood there stiffly. _What the hell had just happened?_

Without any conscious thought, his magic had reacted. It was scary and sobering realisation.

When realised that he'd been standing there frozen for nearly a minute, he swore, what was he doing?! He should be helping! All of a sudden his ability to move was back. Rushing forwards, he first ran to the mother falcon and the snake. The damage the enchanted pebble had done to the snake was astonishing.

The bones of its skull were smashed beyond repair and the jawbone was dangling uselessly, attached only by muscle and sinew. Several places in its metre-long body were twisted and broken at odd angles from the fall. Even in death the snake looked ferocious, fangs dripping with blood and its glazed eyes glaring sightlessly.

Definitely dead.

When he flicked his gaze towards the falcon, the same could be said for her. Her shoulder was bleeding from the snakebite and the bones in her left wing were broken. She had succumbed to the venom and shock. His heart filled with sorrow, Merlin placed a hand over her stiff body. " _Menen êowerwîcian liss._ "

 _May you rest in peace._

Tearing his eyes away from the gruesome scene, Merlin looked towards the nest still high up in the tree. He held out his hands.

" _Flêotan nest fægre lêas oferyrnan hrîs ionna mîn hands_."

At the end of the spell, the entire nest levitated gently out of the tree and into open air. Then after a moment, lowered into his palms. Looking inside the nest, couldn't help but blanch.

The results were awful.

Looking inside the nest, he could clearly see the bleeding wounds and broken bones from where the snake had struck. But he wasn't here to concentrate on that, he was here to focuse on the pair of dark, terrified eyes looking up at him.

"It's safe," He murmured gently, "I'm only here to help you." He said, reaching a hand towards it. The terrified eyes relaxed and calmed somewhat.

 _How is it that animals seem to understand me?_

 _"Friðian sîn môd swefecung."_

At the sleeping spell the bird fell limp within the nest. Placing the nest on the ground, he picked up the sleeping hatchling. She was so warm and fluffy. He put her in his outer jacket pocket, where it would be warm and safe.

Warm and safe.

Oh the irony. She was 'warm and safe' yet her mother and siblings were dead. Fate was cruel indeed.

 _I'll have to bury the others, but where?_

He finally took in his surroundings. The tree where the nest had been was a silver birch standing at the edge of a grass-filled meadow. The birch in itself was an oddity, as it was the only one of its kind in the area, the pale trunk contrasting with the browns around it.

In the end, he dug a hole with magic at the foot of the silver birch and buried the mother falcon and her hatchlings, nest and all. They all looked so small in death.

Standing over the grave, Merlin looked down in sorrow. Letting the words roll off his tongue, he vowed  
 _"Yfel onhâtan êow, êower byre word bêo til wið me."_

* * *

 _What am I going to do with you?_

After trudging his way back to Camelot, making a detour on the way to retrieve the herb-filled basket from where he'd left it. The baby falcon was still in his jacket pocket, fast asleep.

It was only now that he was standing at the door to Gaius' chambers that he thought about what he was going to say. _He'd brought a back a bloody bird for heaven's sake!_ And he didn't even know what kind of falcon it was. Merlin sighed.

And opened the door.

* * *

"Ah, Merlin, find everything I need?" Queried Gaius as he came in, eyeing the basket, "You took longer than I expected." When Merlin didn't reply, Gaius shifted his gaze to his ward.

The young man was still standing at the door with a slightly sheepish look. Giving him a once-over Gaius frowned, he didn't see anything suspicious. Giving him a closer scan, he saw a small lump in his front jacket pocket.

Gaius groaned inwardly, what had Merlin done now?!

"Merlin," Gaius began "what's in your pocket?" He fixed the young man with a steely gaze. He watched as Merlin set the basket carefully on the table, flashed him a nervous glance ( _what_ was he so nervous about!?) and reached out his hand to bring out...

 _A bundle of feathers?_

No. Taking a closer look, he saw it was a baby bird.

* * *

Merlin saw Gaius' puzzlement quickly become surprise, incredulity, and then suspicion.

"Merlin please tell me that you _didn't_ take the liberty of stealing a hatchling from the nest!"

"I didn't!" Gaius' only answer was a look of disbelief, unsurprisingly. How else would he have gotten his hands on one?

Gaius, I swear, I'd never do something like that!" Merlin knew he sounded slightly desperate, bu he continued nevertheless, "I didn't have a choice!"

"What do you mean 'you didn't have a choice'?" Gaius demanded

"I-"

"Start from the beginning."

* * *

Gaius watched the sleeping falcon. It was swaddled in Merlin's neckerchief on the table, lucky to be alive. It was a sight.

"Merlin, even after all these years, your magic still astounds me." Gaius murmured, "Few people could have killed that snake the way you did, much less with the speed you accomplished it in."

"But Gaius..." Merlin hesitated. How was he going to explain? "It was me... yet it wasn't me..."

Seeing the bewildered look on Gaius' face, he tried again. "Something triggered my instinctual magic, set if off..." Merlin trailed away again, unsure.

"What do you mean by 'set it off'?" Gaius asked?

Merlin thought back to when he'd seen the mother falcon, she'd given him a plea. He knew he'd always had a way with animals, but this was something different.

"She wanted me to save her last child. She knew that I would hear her, knew that I would understand, and my magic reacted."

Gaius leant back against the chair, deep in thought. After a minute of so he abruptly sat up straighter. Looking at Merlin, who was watching him with a hopeful expression he said, "The reason why you understood her and how she knew you would understand could've been because she knew who you were."

Gaius almost laughed at the expression on Merlin's face, it was one of complete confusion. "But until now, I've never had any animal communicate with me like that! I-"

"No Merlin, hear me out," ordered Gaius, interrupting his ward by fixing him with a stern gaze, "the druids call you Emrys for a reason, you are the most powerful magic user in the Five Kingdoms, in the history of Albion! You don't just have magic, you _are_ magic!"

"... As flattering as that was, how does that explain the situation?" Merlin asked with a bemused expression, uncomprehending.

Gaius resisted the urge to pound his head in frustration. As smart as Merlin could be, sometimes he was dreadfully ignorant, he decided to elaborate further, "Magic is from the earth, and so is nature itself. Animals are from nature, so they would be able to know who you are and react accordingly."

Merlin frowned, "That makes sense, but it doesn't explain how she was able to communicate with me, though. If all animals know who I am and were able to understand me, then surely they'd all be able to contact me?" He gestured to the sleeping bird, "As far as I know, this is the only animal that's done that before, what if this is the only kind of animal that can? We don't know the species, heck, we don't even know what gender it is!"

"Keep your voice down Merlin!" Admonished Gaius, who was leaning forwards to study the bird, "I can't quite tell what kind of falcon it may be, but I can tell you the gender."

"Well is it a boy or a girl?" Merlin's excitement was almost palpable.

"If my guess is correct, it is a female."

"Just like her mother, then. You sure you can't find out her kind, though?"

Gaius regarded Merlin with a curious expression. "I might be able to." he said as he walked out of the room.

"Gaius?" Merlin called after him. "Gaius!"

* * *

Gaius came back a few minutes later carrying a dusty leather volume. Setting it down on the table, he began flicking through the pages.

"Where did you get that?" Merlin demanded, "and what is it?"

"It is a book on birds," Gaius explained, "it's focused on birds of prey, namely falcons." Merlin looked towards the sleeping bird on the table, curious.  
"So you think that book can identify her."

"Obviously. Merlin could you take the neckerchief away so I can see her feathers better?" Merlin did as he asked, watching with a bemused expression as he watched Gaius lifted one of the wings, stretching it out so that they could see the dappled brown and white feathers individually. Then he saw Gaius leaf through the pages, glancing at the bird for reference every now and then. Merlin soon took to just staring at the bird after a while, seeing that Gaius wasn't going to yield anything soon.

"Ah _HAH!_ " Gaius let out a triumphant explanation, jolting Merlin out of his trance-like state. Gaius promptly started laughing.

" _What_ is so funny?"

Yet instead of getting an answer, it only made Gaius laugh harder, to Merlin's frustration. " _Gaius!_ What kind of bird is she?!"

"Oh the irony!... Merlin, she's a merlin!"

* * *

 _Menen êowerwîcian liss_ \- May you rest in peace

 _Flêotan nest fægre lêas oferyrnan hrîs ionna mîn hands_ \- Float nest gently off tree branch into my hands

 _Friðian sîn môd swefecung_ \- Give her peaceful sleep

 _Yfel onhâtan êow, êower byre word bêo til wið me_ \- I promise you, your surviving child will be safe with me

Thank you for those who fave, follow and review, speaking of which, I don't care if you're a guest, just please leave a review! It does help, and if you have any constructive criticism, it is all welcome!


	4. Chapter 3

**(A/N)** Right! There are going to be a few spells in this whopper of a chapter! Will attach a number and write down the translation at the end of it all. None of them, I'm afraid, come from Merlin Wiki spells, because I'm using a translator (link is there). If anyone can suggest a better translator, go ahead!

NC- Thank you again for the wonderful review! It makes me happy to see it! :)

Shadowdragon1317-Ooooh Sorry you couldn't find it!

RandomReviewer- Errr no! I'm afraid that wasn't it! Saphira says tooth and claw, not tooth and nail!

NC- Thank you, thank you, thank you, and in case you didn't get it the first time, thank you for your wonderful reviews!

Lya200- Congratulations! You found it!

ChickenMan MAN- Yes! You found it!

Right, for those who couldn't find the reference, it was "She relaxed and passed into the void." as the Elves, or älfakyn use the term for death.

Congratulations to Lya200 and ChickenMan MAN for finding the reference! Virtual cookies to them

* * *

 **UPDATE!**

Not many people will see this, but I am stumped. I don't know what to name the bird, so can all of you guys leave suggestions in a review or PM? Because I'm not kidding, I actually don't know what to call her... Help is _greatly_ appreciated!

* * *

Chapter 3

 _At that moment, Merlin's magic decided upon one thought. A very simple though._

 _The snake would pay_

* * *

Whenever Merlin ever looked back at the scene that unfolded on that day, he would always be amazed and awed at the way his instinctual magic reacted, without any conscious thought or consideration whatsoever.

Even though Merlin had interpreted the plea from the mother falcon accurately, his magic had surged with rage. Rage, not protective motives.

Though it hadn't mattered in the end.

* * *

All three hatchlings were still, yet only two were dead, the last one merely frozen in terror, its fearful eyes still fixated on the viper above.

The viper knew that if would only take a quick jerk of his head, and there would be three dead birds. Satisfaction filled him. The mother was helpless, if not dead, so nothing would stop him!

Time to strike.

Baring his fangs in a ferocious hiss, he reared and his head shot downwards in a deadly arc. The sheer power of the strike would crack several of the delicate bones in the baby bird like twigs. If it survived that, the venom would kill it eventually. His sharp fangs would cut through the skin and feathers the moment on impact, drawing blood.

He never made it.

 _Crack!_

His head was jerked backward. He was falling...

The viper was dead before its body hit the ground.

* * *

Merlin's magic had chosen the quickest, yet most brutal way to kill the snake without harming the bird in the nest.

With an intense flash of his eyes, a pebble near the base of the tree flew up with enough force to crack diamonds.

 _Crack!_

The next thing he knew was the body of a long snake crashing from the tree and landing with a _thump_ not a yard from the unmoving body of the falcon. For a long moment, Merlin just stood there stiffly. _W_ _hat the hell just happened?_

Without any conscious thought, his magic had reacted. It was scary.

Then he realised that he'd been standing there frozen for nearly a minute. He swore, what was he doing?! He should be helping! All of a sudden he was able to move. Rushing forwards, he first ran to the mother falcon and the snake. The damage the enchanted pebble had done to the snake was astonishing.

The bones of its skull were smashed beyond repair, and the jawbone was dangling uselessly, attached only by muscle and sinew. Several places in its metre-long body were twisted and broken at odd angles from the fall. Even in death the snake looked ferocious, fangs dripping in blood and glazed eyes glaring sightlessly.

Definitely dead.

When he flicked his gaze towards the falcon, the same could be said for her. Her shoulder was bleeding from the snakebite and the bones in her left wing were broken. She had succumbed to the venom and shock. His heart filled with sorrow, Merlin placed a hand over her stiff body. " _Menen êowerwîcian liss._ "

 _May you rest in peace._

Tearing his eyes away from the gruesome scene, Merlin looked towards the nest still high up in the tree. He held out his hands.

" _Flêotan nest fægre lêas oferyrnan hrîs ionna mîn hands_."

At the end of the spell, the entire nest levitated gently out of the tree and into open air. Then after a moment, lowered into Merlin's hands. He looked inside the nest.

The results were awful.

Looking inside the nest, he could clearly see the bleeding wounds and broken bones from where the snake had struck. But he wasn't concentrating on that, he was focused on the pair of dark, terrified eyes looking up at him.

"It's safe, I'm only here to help you." He murmured gently, reaching a hand towards it. The terrified eyes relaxed and calmed.

 _How is it that animals seem to understand me?_

 _"Friðian sîn môd swefecung._ _"_

At the sleeping spell the bird fell limp within the nest. Placing the nest on the ground, he picked up the sleeping hatchling. She was so warm and fluffy. He put her in his outer jacket pocket, where it would be warm and safe.

Warm and safe.

Oh the irony. She was 'warm and safe' yet her mother and siblings were dead. Fate was cruel indeed.

 _I'll have to bury the others, but where?_

He finally took in his surroundings. The tree where the nest had been was a silver birch standing at the edge of a grass-filled meadow. The tree in itself was an oddity, as it was the only one of its kind in the area, the pale trunk contrasting with the browns around it.

In the end, he dug a hole with magic at the foot of the silver birch and buried the mother falcon and her hatchlings, nest and all. They all looked so small in death.

Standing over the grave, Merlin looked down in sorrow. Letting the words roll off his tongue, he vowed  
 _"Yfel onhâtan êow, êower byre word bêo til wið me."_

* * *

 _What am I going to do with you?_

He had trudged his way back to Camelot, after making a detour to retrieve the herb-filled basket from where he'd left it. The baby falcon was still in his jacket pocket, fast asleep.

It was only now that he was standing at the door to Gaius' chambers that he thought about what he was going to say. _He'd brought a back a bloody bird!_ _, for heaven's sake!_ And he didn't even know what kind of falcon it was. Merlin sighed.

And opened the door.

* * *

"Ah, Merlin, find everything I need?" Queried Gaius as he eyed the basket, "You took longer than I expected."

When Merlin didn't reply, Gaius shifted his gaze to his ward.

Merlin was still standing at the door with a slightly sheepish look. Gaius frowned, he didn't see anything suspicious. Giving him a closer scan, he saw a small lump in his front jacket pocket.

Gaius groaned inwardly, what had Merlin done now?!

"Merlin," Gaius began "what's in your pocket?" He fixed the young man with a steely gaze. He watched as Merlin set the basket carefully on the table, flashed him a nervous glance ( _what_ was he so nervous about!?) and reached out his hand to bring out...

 _A bundle of feathers?_

No. Taking a closer look, he saw it was a baby bird.

* * *

Merlin saw Gaius' puzzlement quickly become surprise, incredulity, and then suspicion.

"Merlin please tell me that you _didn't_ take the liberty of stealing a hatchling from the nest!"

"I didn't!" Gaius' only answer was a look of disbelief, unsurprisingly. How else would hw have gotten his hands on one?

Gaius, I swear, I'd never do something like that!" Merlin knew he sounded slightly desperate, bu he continued nevertheless, "I didn't have a choice!"

"What do you mean 'you didn't have a choice'?" Gaius demanded

"I-"

"Start from the beginning."

* * *

Gaius watched the sleeping falcon. It was swaddled in Merlin's neckerchief on the table, lucky to be alive. It was a sight.

"Merlin, even after all these years, your magic still astounds me." Gaius murmured, "Very few people could have killed that snake the way you did, much less with the speed you accomplished it in."

"But Gaius..." Merlin hesitated. How was he going to explain? "It was me... yet it wasn't me..."

Seeing the bewildered look on Gaius' face, he tried again. "Something triggered my instinctual magic, set if off..." Merlin trailed away again, unsure.

"What do you mean by triggered?" Gaius asked "What set it off?"

Merlin thought back to when he'd seen the mother falcon, she'd given him a plea. He knew he'd always had a way with animals, but this was different.

"She wanted me to save her last child. She knew that I would hear her, she knew that I would understand, and my magic reacted."

Gaius leant back against the chair, deep in thought. After a minute of so he abruptly sat up straighter. Looking at Merlin, who was watching him with a hopeful expression, he said, "The reason why you understood her and how she knew you would understand could've been because she knew who you were."

Gaius almost laughed at the expression on Merlin's face, it was one of complete disbelief. "But until now, I've never had any animal communicate with me like that! I-"

"No Merlin, hear me out," Ordered Gaius, interrupting his ward by fixing him with a stern gaze, "the druids call you Emrys for a reason, you are the most powerful magic user in the Five Kingdoms, in the history of Albion! You don't just have magic, you _are_ magic!"

"... As flattering as that was, how does that explain the situation?" Merlin asked with a bemused expression, uncomprehending.

Gaius resisted the urge to pound his head in frustration. As smart as Merlin could be, sometimes he was dreadfully ignorant, he decided to elaborate further, "Magic is from the earth, and so is nature itself. Animals are from nature, so they would be able to know who you are and react accordingly."

Merlin frowned, "That makes sense, but it doesn't explain how she was able to communicate with me, though. If all animals know who I am and were able to understand me, then surely they'd all be able to contact me?" He gestured to the sleeping bird, "As far as I know, this is the only animal that's done that before, what if this is the only kind of animal that can? We don't know the species, heck, we don't even know what gender it is!"

"Keep your voice down Merlin!" Admonished Gaius, who was leaning forwards to study the bird, "I can't quite tell what kind of falcon it may be, but I can tell you the gender."

"Well is it a boy or a girl?" Merlin's excitement was almost palpable.

"If my guess is correct, it is a female."

"Just like her mother, then. You sure you can't find out her kind, though?"

Gaius regarded Merlin with a curious expression. "I might be able to." he said as he walked out of the room.

"Gaius?" Merlin called after him. "Gaius!"

* * *

Gaius came back a few minutes later carrying a dusty leather volume. Setting it down on the table, he began flicking through the pages.

"Where did you get that?" Merlin demanded, "and what is it?"

"It is a book on birds," Gaius explained, "it's focused on birds of prey, namely falcons." Merlin looked towards the sleeping bird on the table, curious.  
"So you think that book can identify her."

"Obviously. Merlin could you take the neckerchief away so I can see her feathers better?" Merlin did as he asked, watching with a bemused expression as he watched Gaius lifted one of the wings, stretching it out so that they could see the dappled brown and white feathers individually. Then he saw Gaius leaf through the pages, glancing at the bird for reference every now and then. Merlin soon took to just staring at the bird after a while, seeing that Gaius wasn't going to yield anything soon.

"Ah _HAH!_ " Gaius let out a triumphant explanation, jolting Merlin out of his trance-like state. Gaius promptly started laughing.

" _What_ is so funny?"

Yet instead of getting an answer, it only made Gaius laugh harder, to Merlin's frustration. " _Gaius!_ What kind of bird is she?!"

"Oh the irony!... Merlin, she's a merlin!"

* * *

 _Menen êowerwîcian liss_ \- May you rest in peace

 _Flêotan nest fægre lêas oferyrnan hrîs ionna mîn hands_ \- Float nest gently off tree branch into my hands

 _Friðian sîn môd swefecung_ \- Give her peaceful sleep

 _Yfel onhâtan êow, êower byre word bêo til wið me_ \- I promise you, your surviving child will be safe with me

Thank you for those who fave, follow and review, speaking of which, I don't care if you're a guest, just please leave a review! It does help, and if you have any constructive criticism, it is all welcome!


	5. Chapter 4

**(A/N)-** Right, Thanks for anyone and everyone who reviewed and followed last chapter! Sorry this took longer than expected, but I read over the written version of this chapter to edit and correct things, only to find that what I'd written was complete crap (At least, crappier than what it is now). It looked like a 2nd grader wrote it, eurgh. So I have an actual excuse! Ripping out and rewriting pages takes a long time. Plus I was originally going to do something completely different in this chapter, but ended up saving it for another time.

Let's get this over with _quick_. I don't know what to name the bird. Legit. I updated the last chapter and wrote a message on it saying the exact same thing, but I don't think many of you guys saw it. NC suggested that I name the bird Ambrosius, I did consider it, but I'm not sure, seeing it is a masculine name. If any of you guys have a suggestion, PLEASE DO TELL!

I don't care if you're a guest, just leave a review if you want to suggest anything! (Preferable if you name yourself something so I can reply!)

* * *

 _"She's a merlin!"_

* * *

Merlin sat there with mouth hanging open, utterly dumbfounded. Of all the birds he could have brought home, he'd brought back a merlin. A _merlin_ of all things! Fate did seem to have a strange sense of humour, and it wasn't helping that Gaius was still laughing either. Closing his mouth, Merlin glared at Gaius.

"Gaius, it's not that funny!"

When Gaius finally calmed, Merlin decided to speak again.

"So, ignoring that it shares my name," Merlin paused to glare at his mentor, who merely quirked his lips in response, "is there any information about it in that book of yours?"

Schooling his expression until he was sure he wasn't smiling anymore, Gaius turned his gaze back to the open pages of the book, scanning through the lines.

"Based off on what it says here, the feathers of the female are lighter than the males." Gaius began, gesturing to the light brown feathers dappling her wings. Merlin nodded, making a sign for Gaius to continue, watching the bird all the while.

"And they're actually quite small," Gaius continued. "Only growing up to around a foot in length."

Merlin nodded again. Mentally comparing her to the length of a fully grown one. "She can't be much more than a few weeks old, then," He remarked "after all, she's not much bigger than my fist."

Gaius made no effort to reply. Turning his attention from the book he looked outside. The sun would be setting soon, perhaps three or four hours so it had to be what? Around 3 in the afternoon? He sighed. Time to stop beating 'round the bush.

"Merlin, what do you intend to do with her?" Gaius asked, raising an eyebrow whilst he did so, "Surely you don't intend to keep her, I know a few acquaintances who would be willing to take her up." When Merlin didn't answer Gaius threw up his hands in exasperation, "Merlin! Do you really intend to try and train her?!"

Merlin finally turned, and Gaius could see the determined look in his eye, and the desolate rigidness that seemed to line his face. Meeting the incredulous look that met him, Merlin's words were deliberate and sombre; "I swore that I would protect her."

 _Swore to protect her!?_

Gaius drew in a sharp breath, but before he could utter a single word Merlin cut in "Gaius, you don't understand, I swore in the Old Tongue over her mother's body. I promised her I would keep her safe as long as she was with me." As soon as the words left his mouth, Merlin knew that they rang true. He dimly recalled unconsciously vowing to save when he heard her.

Little did he know, that it was for that reason the mother falcon had died with her mind at ease. Her surviving child would indeed be safe with Merlin.

* * *

Holding a bit of raw chicken in his hand, Merlin woke the bird with a muttered " _Wacan_."

Pandemonium.

The falcon, upon seeing itself in unfamiliar surroundings began to squawk and flap in panic, flailing about in an attempt to get her bearings. Merlin couldn't blame her, no doubt he'd do the same if he were in her shoes, not that she had any. Reaching out with his free hand, he tried to calm her "It's ok, you're safe here!" he whispered.

It was amazing how fast she calmed, looking up at him with wide eyes, evidently reassured. Merlin tentatively reached out a hand and stroked her, marvelling at the softness of the downy feathers upon her breast. She fluffed herself up and seemed to purr, revelling in the attention.

She seemed to willingly trust him, time to try something else. Holding up the small chunk of meat in his hand, he whispered again;

"You hungry?"

The results were instantaneous, eyes that were once closed in bliss were now open, shining with eagerness, the beak that was purring in contentment now open in hunger. Merlin dimly wondered if the meat he had now was enough.

Tearing the chunk into smaller, more manageable pieces, Merlin watched in rapt fascination as the falcon gripped the pieces he gave to her and swallowed them whole, neck bobbing as she did so. When she finished he was relieved to the hunger in her eyes sated, but then she stared at Merlin with... What?

She wants something... water?

The thought of water had popped into his mind out of nowhere. _Did she really just send that to me?_

"Alright..."Merlin began, feeling slightly foolish for talking to a bird, "I'll get you some water, just wait there quietly, will you?" She fluffed her feathers out again, seemingly content to sit there and wait as Merlin left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

When he returned with a bowl of water, he found her busily preening her feathers, tucking her head under one wing and rifling through the down. She looked up as he set the bowl on the table. He watched again as the bird dipped her beak into the water and tilted her head back to swallow, it was amusing, to say the least. When she drank her fill, she began preening again.

Leaning against the chair he sat on, Merlin remarked "You know, considering what's happened today you're surprisingly vain." He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth when he saw the bird stiffen and shrink inwards. Why did his mouth have to run away at the worst times?! Swearing inwardly he was about to-

 _Eyes opening to a pair of bared fangs dripping red with blood, enraged eyes leering down at her. Fangs shooting forwards in a deadly blur striking her brother. Panic as the nest began to move out of its own accord, floating down...  
A pair of bright, blue eyes gazing down at her, an aura of power surrounding him. She was safe, safe in the arms of this strange creature-_

Merlin gasped, nearly falling off his seat as the mental barrage of images ceased. That was new, so far he'd only been privy to her to her desires and wants. It seemed like animals _could_ communicate better than he'd expected. Looking at the falcon, Merlin found that she also seemed surprised. He sat back heavily and closed his eyes, deep in thought.

What he had been shown was what the falcon remembered before being woken up here, to her new surroundings. _And it could have easily been her last memories_ , Merlin thought, _if I hadn't intervened, the snake would've killed them all._

The snake...

 _The snake!_

"What the-"

* * *

 _Fangs! Angry eyes gleaming with excitement, shrieks cutting the air as feathers flew-_

 _Crack!_

 _Thump..._

 _Her brother crumpled and fell..._

 _It was looking at her! Dripping wet with blood, yet gleaming like knives, they shot forwards..._

 _Hiss..._ Crunch!

 _The snake flew backwards, away from her. Eyes once gleaming with malice now glazed over in death-_

* * *

"-hell?"

Merlin jerked his head backwards, still looking for the snake that had been looming over him, fangs bared.

 _What the hell_ was _that?_

All he did was just think of the snake, and another memory had just burst into his mind out of nowhere, and it certainly wasn't his. Merlin turned to the falcon next to him.

"Did you just send that?"

She gazed steadily back at him. Frowning, Merlin realised that he could somehow sense an agreement from her, although how he was doing it still baffled him to he extreme.

"Why?"

Merlin had already been sent that memory, and she'd only sent it back again, albeit with more details.

The falcon still did nothing, merely continuing to gaze back at him with an expression he couldn't place, as hard as he tried. Merlin decided to switch tactics, after all, he'd already done some crazy things today, doing one more couldn't hurt, could it?

Closing his eyes, Merlin imagined a mental hand reaching out towards her, to try and reach out to her. Concentrating, he honed on a tiny speck of light in the darkness of his consciousness. He could _sense_ her, he could sense her mind! Concentrating harder he pushed his mental hand further, and then...

Everything clicked. The snake, of course!

Opening his eyes, he said "You want to know what happened to the snake, don't you?"

* * *

He understood. He understood!

"You want to know what happened to the snake, don't you?"

She chirped, puffing herself up whilst she did so. She closed her eyes as the first of the images trickled into her mind.

* * *

Merlin watched her carefully.

He had no idea whether or not he'd sent the memories. All he did was simply imagine the scene unfold in his head, then... open his mind, strange as it sounded, so he could feel and _read_ her consciousness. If he tried harder, he'd realised that he was able to read her thoughts, but he refrained from doing so. She deserved a little privacy to herself, if anything.

 _I can't keep referring to her as a 'she',_ Merlin thought, _I need to name her soon... but what?_

Before he could dwell on the subject long, the bird chirped, drawing him out from his thoughts. She seemed... satisfied with the fate of the snake, if the colour of her mind was anything to go by. He had left the body of the snake rotting for the crows to eat. He didn't regret doing that.

"Merlin!"

The bird jumped at the noise, Merlin calmed her. What could Gaius possibly want with him now? He'd done all the tasks asked of him for today!

"Gaius! What is it?" Merlin was slightly irritated that him for unwittingly scaring the falcon. He'd only just managed to draw her out of her shell, and he didn't need anyone to push her back into it!

"You didn't bring comfrey!"

 _Ahh, so that's why he called_. Merlin winced. He'd forgotten to pick the comfrey when he went back for the basket. "I'll go get some more tomorrow!" He called back to Gaius.

At least, it would give him an opportunity to get to the forest tomorrow. Both he and the falcon would need it.


	6. Chapter 5

**(A/N)-** I really want to thank all those who reviewed, favorited and followed in the last chapter. For all the guests who reviewed, THANK YOU, but can you please name yourselves? Really hard to keep track of who's who.

 **Lya200** \- Just imagine her fluffing up when she's content. *Squeals*

 **NC** \- I really am considering Amber... Because of reasons I might tell if I choose the name!

The guest who suggested Athena\- Clever choice. I don't know if I'll choose it though, only time will tell

The guest who suggested multiple names\- I dunno, but 'Puff' seems to go well whenever she fluffs up!

 **Random Reviewer** \- Ah, you again! :) Thank you for that wonderful review. If you wanted the mind-presense thing to get stronger than it is now, it will. All will be explained. But the bond is never going to be nearly as strong as the one between Eragon and Saphira, because I want it to be different. (Mainly because I somehow managed to find a point where everything can be explained perfectly!) :D

The guest who talked about comfrey\- Now _that_ is a clever idea! I just put the comfrey in the story because I couldn't think of anything more medical-related. Somehow you managed to change that! Thanks!

 **WolfGirl** \- Haven't seen you for quite a while! Where've you been? The name you suggested; Annora. I think that's a name of a river in the Inheritance Cycle as well as having Avatar roots. Personally I never saw the movie, I was really young when it came out. Annora, as well as Amber is definitely a name I'm considering, don't worry! As for the aura of nobility, I feel the same. Turns out I wasn't the only one! :)

For all the guests who I had to write "The guest who..." PLEASE JUST NAME YOURSELVES! It's not that hard! Call yourself a bunch of numbers for all I care!

Just because I have shown certain preferences for names does _not_ mean I have chosen them! TBH none of the names really seem to fit, and the only way that I can see to make it fit is to change something about her character or appearance, which I might just end up doing. Argh. Seriously though, I don't know! I nearly drove myself to tears a few days ago trying to find a name! Crap.

On with the fic! Tell me your favorite scene in a review, I had such enormous fun writing some of the scenes!

Because this was posted on Christmas day, enjoy the 2x bigger chapter! :D

Merry Christmas!

* * *

Chapter 5

Merlin stole a hunk of raw meat, before wrapping it up in a clean cloth and tucking it away. It wouldn't be missed, not in this chaotic atmosphere.

The kitchen was always full of busy people, especially during the morning hours. The air was filled with the clanging of pots and pans, the frantic hustle and bustle of servants rushing about, steam rising from the various dishes and of course, the yells of the head cook Mary. Slightly red-faced and portly and carrying around her ever-present ladle (handy for whacking people that annoyed her), she was a force to be reckoned with.

"Oi!" She shouted suddenly as Merlin approached, brandishing her ladle at a group who was tending to a dish, "Just what do you thing yer doing! That goose was meant to be stuffed with sage! Not onions and breadcrumbs!" The servants paled at the sight of the enraged cook.

Merlin grinned ruefully, for he'd also managed to anger the woman on several occasions. The back of his head ached in sympathy.

"And what d'you think you're laughing at?" The cook demanded, rounding upon Merlin, who hastily rearranged his features.

Making sure none of his mirth showed on his face, Merlin said "Just here for King Prat's breakfast!" Several people around them guffawed quietly. Only Merlin could get away with calling Arthur that. Even Mary couldn't stop the edges of her mouth from twitching slightly because, like everyone else, Merlin had wormed her way into her heart. She had a soft fondness for him that nobody else received.

"Hark who's talkin'" she shot back, giving him a critical look, "looks as though you could use a good meal." Several people were now openly watching this exchange with amusement, marveling at the banter between them, nobody else could do that! The cook handed over a large steaming plate of sausages, eggs and bread. Then she gave him a roll smeared with fruit preserve. "You need some meat on your bones." Was her only explanation.

Merlin grinned in response before turning to walk out of the kitchen. Just before he went, he looked back over his shoulder, "You have a nice day too!" He called back

Mary huffed, only just managing to stop a smile breaking through her fearsome scowl. Turning around, she noticed that a large number of people had stopped working whilst their little exchange was going on. Brandishing her ladle she made to get them working again, "What are you lot looking at!" She demanded, "Get back to work!" They all hastily went back to work, still whispering about what they had just seen.

Glancing back to the kitchen doors Mary noticed a large cluster of maids giggling and gazing dreamily at the rapidly disappearing figure of the raven-headed man. The head cook rolled her eyes. Only Merlin would be able to remain ignorant of all the eye fluttering and flirtatious giggles that seemed to erupt whenever he entered a room.

Only Merlin.

* * *

Walking towards the King's chambers, Merlin smiled.

One of the good things that happened after Arthur and Guinevere's marriage was that he got an easier morning. All he had to do was drop off breakfast and return to an hour later! This was due to the fact that the Queen helped dress the King in the morning.

Gwen was sitting, fully dressed, on the bed watching Arthur with a tender look when Merlin walked into the chambers.

Even though she'd been queen for nearly two months now, she still rose with the sun like the other servants.

Old habits died hard.

"Hello, Merlin," She greeted, looking up from Arthur's side, "You're up early today, how was your day off?"

Merlin _was_ early, for once. He had quietly crept out of his room without waking the sleeping falcon or Gaius. He snorted, "Arthur probably thinks that I spent it at the tavern," Gwen rolled her eyes, "but really I spent it gathering herbs for Gaius."

Gwen frowned from the bedside. "That's not much of a day off," Merlin nodded

"I know, speaking of which..." He hesitated, unsure.

Should he or should he not tell her about what else transpired yesterday? About the falcon he rescued? He had a feeling that she wouldn't mind, but something inside him kept him back from saying it, the reasonable part of him. Should he tell her, he would have to explain how he found her, why the mother was dead and how he killed the snake, which was something he wasn't willing to do.

"... I have to go herb gathering today as well"

Gwen raised an eyebrow. "Gaius must need a lot of herbs! Tell me Merlin, do you ever get any rest?"

Merlin gestured to the sleeping Arthur, "How can I? I've got a Royal Pratness to look after!" He and Gwen shared a smile.

"So can you tell him when he wakes up?" Merlin asked

"Sure, you go do what you need to do."

"Thanks, Gwen. I'll try to be back by evening."

* * *

Merlin was walking down the corridors towards Gaius' chambers when a mass of emotions erupted from within his mind. It seemed the falcon was awake.

Merlin grimaced, _she must have panicked when she woke up to find me gone._

Reaching out, he tried to reassure her, _it's_ fine, did she even understand English? _I'm on my way, I'll be there in less than a minute!_ He mentally projected. The panic abated somewhat, leaving Merlin to walk rapidly towards his destination.

 _Wait._

He had known what she was feeling even though he hadn't reached out to her, and Merlin was certain that she didn't contact him either. Which raised the question: How did he know?

* * *

Watching the bird tear apart hunk of raw meat he had pocketed from the kitchens, Merlin decided to try something. Closing his eyes, he tried to empty his mind of any thought. If he was correct in his suspicions...

It was there! Very faint, but still there! He could _feel_ the mind of the falcon even though he had made no attempt to reach out with his own!

But why?

"Perhaps it's because you're the only one I've ever contacted with my mind." Merlin said. The falcon looked up from her meal in response. Seeing that Merlin wasn't talking to her, continued tearing away.

But then did this mean that if he contacted another being, he'd also be able to feel them afterwards? Eyes searching the room, he saw a little spider on the edge of his window. Reaching out with his mind, he felt the spider's consciousness, then withdrew.

Now to see if he was correct.

Emptying his mind again, Merlin found that _no_ , he could _not_ fell the presence of the spider. He could feel the falcon's, but not the spider.

 _Interesting..._

* * *

Merlin glanced uneasily at the door to his room.

How was he going to get her out of the city? He couldn't carry her, people would see! The only other option was to put her in his pocket again and hope that she didn't find it uncomfortable. Merlin sighed. He didn't have much of a choice, did he?

Stooping slightly so that he was eye-level with the bird on the table, Merlin looked into the black eyes and said "I'm going to have to put you in my pocket, you know."

The bird didn't reply, merely fluffing out her feathers and making a small cooing sound. Merlin took that as a sign of contentment

"Alrighty then," And with that, he took the ball of fluff into his hands and gently put her into one of his inner pockets, tucked safely away from prying eyes. She didn't struggle as he thought she would, in fact, she seemed to enjoy being tucked away beneath his warm jacket.

"Let's go!"

* * *

"Where's Merlin?" Arthur murmured sleepily, struggling to get his eyes open. Arthur had woken up the the smell of breakfast. His stomach rumbled. He wasn't used to this, he was more accustomed to getting forcibly dragged out of bed whilst the raven-headed man yelled "Rise and shine!" into his ear, much to the amusement of his wife who watched from the edge of the bed.

So this was new.

"Arthur, you're awake!" Gwen had to stop herself from rolling her eyes, Arthur had woken nearly twenty minutes after Merlin had left! "He's gone herb gathering for Gaius. In fact he came in here to tell you earlier, but you were asleep."

"Why didn't you wake me? Why didn't he wake me?" He groaned from the bed. He definitely wasn't a morning person, "Screw that, why didn't _anyone_ wake me?"

"Because you were asleep." Guinevere replied, "Here, he brought some breakfast for you."

Arthur got out of bed, accepting the shirt his wife slipped over his head. "First he gets a day off, then he goes and makes up a stupid excuse just so he can spend an extra day at the tavern." Arthur grumbled, "Some manservant."

Arthur had expected Guinevere to make a cover story for Merlin, not because she tolerated laziness, but because Merlin was her best friend. What he _hadn't_ expected was for her to slap him on his shoulder. Hard.

"What was that for?" Arthur cried indignantly.

"You don't know what Merlin did on his day off, do you?" Arthur made a move to respond, but Gwen forged on, ignoring him "He spent his day off yesterday gathering herbs for Gaius! And he's doing it again today!"

"Okay!" Arthur recoiled from her "I'm sorry! I just assumed that he would go to the tavern, that's all!"

"That's what Merlin said you'd do," she said. Then she frowned. "I don't believe I've ever seen Merlin touch a single drop of alcohol before."

Arthur frowned too - neither had he, come to think of it. In fact the only time he had ever seen Merlin go to the Rising Sun was only to drag an home an incoherent Gwaine. After a moment's thought, Arthur shrugged, dismissing it.

"Come on, I'm starving."

* * *

The falcon spread her wings, glad to be finally be in the fresh forest air. She chirped happily as the soft wind blew through the trees and into the small clearing. Something seemed to stir inside her.

"Why don't you try flapping them?" Merlin asked from the rock he was sitting on.

The falcon paused, considering the question. She raised her wings

 _Flap. Flap flap._

Nothing happened. She turned askance to Merlin.

Merlin frowned.

He'd brought her to the forest in the hopes of training her to fly, but it was only now that he realised that it was going to be much harder than he thought.

"Try flapping them harder, you do want to fly, don't you?"

 _That_ got her attention. Yes, she wanted to fly! Already she had seen several birds high in the sky, flapping their wings against the wind. It looked inspiring to her.

Bracing herself on the ground, she flapped harder

 _Flap, flap, flap, flap, flap,_

Nothing was happening! She increased her speed.

 _Flap-flap-flap-flap-flap-flap-_

She felt it! For just one moment, her body had come off the ground, not by a lot, but it happened! She would have continued if her wings weren't so tired.

Merlin watched the falcon drop her wings back to the ground, panting. He swore, how could he have missed this!?

All animals are born with instincts and traits that help them survive. Humans, on the other hand aren't. So how could he, a human, powerful warlock or not even begin to think he could teach a bird to fly? He couldn't. He simply lacked the instinct of flying.

Then he sat up straighter, inspiration striking him. He might not...

But dragons did.

* * *

Merlin watched the dark dot in the sky get bigger and bigger. Besides him, perched atop his shoulder, the falcon stirred uneasily, she'd never met a dragon before. "You'll be fine, Kilgharrah won't hurt you, I promise." He murmured.

A second, smaller dot joined the first, pale in colour compared to the darker dot.

"Aithusa."

 **[(A/N)** \- I was incredibly tempted to leave the chapter here. Be thankful. **]**

* * *

Kilgharrah took one look at the bird perched on Merlin's shoulders and snorted. "Oh, the irony-"

"Don't start." Merlin snapped, "I've had enough from Gaius, thank you very much." He glowered at Kilgharrah, then looked at Aithusa.

The last time he had seen the white dragon was just after he hatched her. Back then, she was the size of a large cat, but now... she had grown much. She was just longer than Merlin from tip to tail.

"Hello, Aithusa." Merlin greeted

Aithusa made a soft, happy crooning noise, happy to see her Dragonlord again.

"Why have you summoned me, young warlock?" The deep rumble of Kilgharrah's voice made him turn his attention back to current matters.

"Several reasons." Merlin said, setting the falcon gently on the ground. Aithusa sniffed her curiously. The falcon didn't seem scared, in fact she seemed just as intrigued as the white dragon herself. Aithusa poked the bird with the tip of her white nose, snorting as the hatchling pecked her back.

"I don't have any knowledge or instinct of flying-" Merlin began

"If you are expecting me to give the knowledge of flight to the falcon willingly, you are sorely mistaken." Kilgharrah interjected brusquely. Besides him, now several yards away, the falcon and Aithusa had begun to play a game of some sort that involved chasing one another.

"What?" Merlin was shocked, what was so bad about it? "But why?"

Kilgharrah gazed down at Merlin. "That is something that you, of all people should understand."

"Stop speaking in riddles, Kilgharrah!"

"I am not speaking in riddles, young warlock. You know what it is like to have knowledge of a great destiny thrust upon your shoulders. The same goes for the falcon. If she had the knowledge of flight shoved into her mind the moment she wanted to learn, it could do great damage."

Merlin frowned, "By damage, I'm assuming you mean her mental health."

"That is correct. For her, it would be having the knowledge of an elder, but the body of a youngling."

Merlin was stumped. If Kilgharrah couldn't, or wouldn't teach the bird how to fly, she would always be a cripple amongst other birds, a burden that nobody could help. Unless...

"Gaius told me," Merlin chose each word with care, "That because I'm Emrys, that because I'm magic, I can communicate with animals."

"What Gaius says is true," Kilgharrah admitted, blinking his massive gold eyes. The falcon was now chasing the white dragon, hopping across the grass for all she was worth. "But even if I gave you the knowledge, you would not be able to teach her."

"Why not?" Merlin demanded. Aithusa squealed as the falcon pounced on her tail.

"Because mere words cannot communicate the power of sensations and instincts!" Kilgharrah huffed, "You would be giving her a parody of what it is like, a mockery of the true glory of flight!"

By now, Merlin was at his wits end, frustrated and angry. "What if I don't use words?!" He cried, throwing his arms up in the air in exasperation, "What if I just use my mind?"

The Great Dragon froze. "What did you just say?"

Merlin looked up. "My mind." He said slowly, "If I can't teach her how to fly by telling her, can't I teach her by showing memories? You can convey sensations and emotions through minds, can't you?"

Slowly, ever so slowly Kilgharrah spoke again: "Merlin. I think it is time for you to tell me exactly how you came by this falcon."

* * *

The dragon sat back on his haunches and closed his eyes.

If everything Merlin told him was true, from the mother falcon, to the snake, to present, then it was one of the most powerful and intricate pieces of magic ever wrought. Opening his eyes, he looked at Merlin with newfound respect. Then he looked at where Aithusa and the falcon were, sitting together in the grass. The two got on rather well.

He sighed.

"The reason why you and the bird now share a bond is complicated, and I can only theorise why such an event occurred, for I have never seen nor heard anything like this before."

Merlin waved a had vaguely in the bird's direction, "So what do you think happened?"

The gold dragon paused and looked at Merlin for a long moment.

"I believe, that the mother bird set this in motion." Kilgharrah began.

"How?" Merlin was intrigued.

Merlin suddenly found himself under the irritated glare of a dragon. He held out his hands in submission, "Okay! No more interruptions!" After a moment more, Kilgharrah continued.

"When the mother falcon pleaded with you, she did without any thought of self preservation. She did not ask you to heal her, nor kill the snake. She asked you to save her surviving child, thus making her final wish selfless."

Merlin blinked. Just how strong _was_ a mother's love for her children?

"And then what you did afterwards, young warlock, only made to seal it."

Merlin couldn't help himself, "Seal what?"  
It seemed the dragon had been waiting for the inevitable question.

"There have always been legends about bonds existing between certain magical animals and humans." Kilgharrah began, "The existence of the Dragonlords have proved the majority of these legends to be correct. But even the legends had one thing in common."

"And what was that?"

"They were never _created_. They were always passed down, whether it be from father to son, or from mother to daughter. You yourself are an example of this, Merlin." Here Kilgharrah paused, as if gathering his thoughts.

"Sometimes, in times of greatest need, magical creatures and animals have been known to create pacts. Not bonds, but packs. This involved taking an oath in the Old Religion from both. If this succeeded, whatever they both wanted to accomplish would be done, and once so, the agreement would end, allowing both to go their own ways.

"But that's not what I did!" Merlin said, confusion written on his features.

"No." Kilgharrah agreed, "It was not. What you have created is something entirely different. You swore in the Old Religion to keep her safe, and you did it out of pure, simple selflessness, without any thought for self preservation."

"The mother also did what she did without any thought for herself." He continued, "I cannot even begin to imagine what ancient magic that was wrought on that day."

"I don't understand."

"These pacts were always made so that both sides would gain something, no matter how small, from it. And it was always powerful magic. But that pact you and the mother falcon inadvertently sealed had no thought whatsoever for self-gain. Acts done by a pure and selfless heart have been known to be rewarded by unknown forces on a few, rare occasions. An example would be when Arthur proved himself to be pure of heart, and the famine on Camelot was lifted."

Merlin blinked.

"I suspect that the bond that was forged between you and the bird was a result of your selfless actions, as well as your newfound ability to feel minds." The dragon looked Merlin for a moment as if studying him, then continued, "There is also every chance that those are not the only blessings you have received, but only time will tell for sure."

Merlin sat down on the grass, head in his hands. His voice was muffled slightly as he spoke.

"Well that explains a lot."

* * *

 **(A/N)** \- This chapter was going to be much, _much_ , **_MUCH_** longer, perhaps 5 or 6 thousand words, then I realised I was stuffing way, _way_ too much in one chapter. I found the first half enormously fun to write, and the second bit _very_ interesting. Tell me your favourite scene in a review, and what can be improved!

Like I said, I don't give a crap if you're guest, just leave a review (NAME YOURSELVES _SOMETHING_ )

Because this chapter was originally going to be much longer, I have about a third of the next chapter done, taken from this, so the next update shouldn't be taking too long, the latest on the 31st. I promise. If not, feel free to send me threats.

Some of you may be wondering why Aithusa showed up. In this FanFic, Morgana _was_ taken by the Sarrum, but Aithusa never met Morgana, nor was she captured alongside her. I don't like how she was a cripple after season 4.

Fave and follow if you like it! :) in the meantime, MERRY CHRISTMAS!


	7. Chapter 6

**(A/N)** \- A special thanks to everyone who followed in the last chapter. WE HIT 20 FOLLOWS! Yay!

A massive thanks to NC, BooksAreMedicine and Symphorosa, for they are the ones who really made me have several late nights choosing between the names they gave. So what will it be? You guys'll find out today!

REVIEWS!

Lya200- Yeah, I know, but if you think that Kilgharrah was bad last chapter... Mwhahahah

RandomReviewer- Thanks for telling me about that. I fixed it the moment I found out! :)

NC- I had enormous fun doing the scenes with the falcon and Aithusa. Also glad you approve of me letting Aithusa stay beautiful!

Symphorosa- Hmm... Gwaine. I get how people like him and all, but I really prefer Percival. Does NOT mean I dislike Gwaine. The Knights will show up in a few chapters!

WolfGirl- Glad you're still with us! I know next-to-nothing about Avatar, sorry!

NC (Again. She reviewed twice. She can do that because she's a guest!)- Thanks for that! I ended up using the information you gave me, and will continue to use it!:P

Shadowdragon1317- Your review was invigorating for me! Thank you so much!

BooksAreMedicine- I saw your reviews about 10 minutes after they were posted, THANK YOU! (Perfect timing, eh?) And I like the names you've chosen. Between you, NC and Symphorosa I had a very late night.

I think it's time to tell you guys that I got the inspiration for this fic a few months ago after reading Aleithria's **_"The Fox's Net"_** it is a REALLY good, and I think you guys should read it, I spent several hours at a time reading it until I finished. Wonderful stuff!

Sorry for not posting this yesterday, I had a lot of things going on!

* * *

It was a lot to take in.

 _What have I gotten myself into?_

If Kilgharrah's theory was correct, that Merlin had somehow created a bond between him and the falcon, and that was part of a blessing given upon him for his acts. It was mind boggling. He didn't yet know the full extent of the bond, but hopefully it would be strong enough now to accomplish what he wanted. Aithusa and her new friend were now napping together in the warm afternoon sun, Aithusa splayed out on the long grass and the falcon tucked beneath her wing.

After long consideration, Merlin finally opened his mouth. "Would the bond you spoke of be enough to let me teach her how to fly?"

When the dragon didn't respond immediately, and Merlin looked up to see him hesitating. "I think," he began carefully, "that you would be able to teach her flight." Merlin opened his mouth to speak but Kilgharrah went on, "But I warn you, young warlock, this bond is likely to grow only stronger over time."

"No matter." Merlin said quickly, "Just do it."

"Are you sure?"

Merlin nodded.

Taking a deep breath, the Great Dragon opened his maw and blew. Yet instead of incinerating flames, a golden mist enveloped the warlock like a warm blanket.

Merlin gasped at what he was seeing behind his closed eyes. Kilgharrah had been correct, for words would have never been able to describe what he was seeing and _feeling_. So much was composed of sensations and sudden bursts of instinct, it was confusing. Merlin now realised that if he had forced the Great Dragon to give the knowledge of flight to the bird, she would've been lucky to keep her sanity.

Even when the mist had faded away, he still stood with his eyes closed, simply marveling at the wonders he had been shown. He could already feel a ecstatic grin spread across his face, giving him a maniacal expression.

But eventually, it was Kilgharrah who forced him out of his reverie.

"You should know, young warlock, that what you have seen here is the very tip of the iceberg." Merlin opened his eyes.

"What do you mean?" He asked quizzically, "There's just so much here!"

"I am a dragon." He said simply, "My way of flight is the same as any bird, but it is also completely different."

"Straighten your tongue, Kilgharrah! I'm tired of riddles!"

The dragon snorted. "Don't you see? Us dragons can fly from the moment we hatch, for our instincts come to the surface at our first breath! Yet those of birds do not. Their instincts remain hidden until the time comes for them to learn!

"What are you expecting me to say to that?"

"When you teach her, you will find that what I have shown you is the barest foundations for flight. There will be times where she will know better than I. Like other birds of prey, she is born with the instinct of flight. As far as I am concerned, she already knows how to fly in the deepest recesses of her mind, whether she knows it or not." Kilgharrah went on, "But whatever her mind knows, her body does not. You must remember to let her learn and remember on her own as much as she learns from you."

Merlin was confused. And irritated. "So what are you saying? Are you saying that there will be times when I don't have to teach her? Where she'll already know?"

"Yes."

"Then how will I know?!" Merlin almost yelling in his frustration, " _How_ will I know when to let her figure it out?"

The dragon gazed down at him with something he couldn't identify. Then, lowering his head so that he was eye level with the warlock, he said three words:

"You will know."

* * *

It was time to go.

She didn't want to part with her new friend, but Aithusa knew she didn't have much choice on the matter.

Seeing the sadness on the white dragon, Merlin couldn't help but smile fondly at the pair of them lying together in the long grass. "Don't worry," He said as he lifted the falcon onto his shoulders, "You'll be seeing each other very soon!"

Aithusa crooned. The falcon chirped back.

With one last glance over her shoulder, she flew away on her white wings with Kilgharrah. She hoped that perhaps one day, one day they'd be able to fly together.

* * *

She fluffed out her feathers as the wind blew. She missed the white dragon, what had Merlin called her again? Aithusa, yes... that's right.

She wondered where Aithusa was now.

They had so much fun together chasing each other through the long, wavy grass! Well, at least _they_ had. Merlin and the Old One he called Kilgharrah seemed to be having a sombre discussion about something.

Speaking of which...

He had seemed rather confused after they had left the grass-swept clearing, only walking for a few minutes before climbing an oak tree. His eyes were closed and his feet dangled off the branch. They were sitting five metres off the ground.

From his left shoulder as her vantage point, she could see the sun slowly change it's position and elongating the shadows around her. Merlin had not moved for the better part of an hour, but she wasn't worried.

She had tried to grab his attention numerous times, at one point even rubbing the side of her face against his cheek, but to no avail. He wasn't ignoring her, that much she knew. He simply couldn't hear her. Or feel her, apparently.

Couldn't he? Perhaps not physically, but perhaps...

* * *

Merlin could feel the questioning, curious mental probe. The falcon wanted to know what was keeping him so quiet.

He gave a wry smile, eyes still closed. Sorting through whatever Kilgharrah had given him was no easy task. He _had_ spent quite a while meticulously putting things in what he thought was a chronological order. The falcon probed again, slightly harder this time.

Merlin opened his eyes.

 _Good grief!_

Just how long had he spent thinking!? It was afternoon when he'd climbed the tree, but now there was only two or three hours 'till sunset! If he wanted to start today, he certainly hadn't much time left!

"Sorry about that." He whispered, reaching out a hand to stroke her, "It was just a lot for me to take in."

She purred.

"Wanna learn how to fly?"

* * *

The first thing to do, was to build up a little muscle so she could get her body off the ground. What he assumed was the first memory, was what Merlin was going by. It was a sensation of pushing off the ground with powerful legs, and wings flapping a few times to get going.

Setting the falcon on the ground, he opened his mind, feeling for the bright light of her consciousness. When he poked her gently, letting her know he was there, she opened up immediately. Her mind was gleaming with curiosity and excitement. And with that, Merlin gave her the first of the memories.

He watched her carefully.

The falcon had stilled momentarily after making contact, probably digesting the knowledge Merlin had given her. Then she looked up at him.

"Ready?" Merlin tentatively asked. She chirped in response. He that as a yes. Merlin crouched on the ground, then he held out his arm to the side of him a foot off the ground. "Push off with your legs and jump." He gestured using his free hand

The merlin eyed his left arm. Bracing herself on the ground, she jumped, shoving herself off the ground with her talons.

 _Flump!_

She landed on his arm slightly off-kilter, flapping her wings about wildly to get her balance. Merlin winced as the sharp talons poked his arm through the sleeves of his leather jacket. It didn't hurt too much, but he would have to get something to protect his arm as he talons grew. He ducked to avoid being slapped by her wings. When the bird righted herself, Merlin looked at her.

"Well that could've gone better." She looked affronted.

Grinning, Merlin continued, "Let's try that again, shall we?"

She puffed her feathers out indignantly, looking for all the world like a fat, brown and white lump.

"Come on!"

* * *

One foot off the ground soon became two feet. Two feet became three, where at that point she was actually flapping her wings as well as jumping, to get to Merlin's arm. Sometime throughout the lesson Merlin had taken off his jacket and wrapped it around his arm as a makeshift glove to protect himself from her talons.

After an hour of doing this, Merlin finally saw how late it was. It was time to go back. Straightening and stretching his legs, "We'd better start heading back now,"

The merlin agreed, for she was tired too, but happy. She chirped as Merlin picked her up, "C'mon!" Placing her on his left shoulder again, he started to head off when he remembered something.

 _Oh yeah... Gaius did say that he wanted comfrey._

He shrugged. He'd just have to make a detour on the way back.

* * *

"When did the idiot say he'd be back again?" grumbled an irritable Arthur to his wife.

Gwen sighed. Arthur had already asked that question twice, three times, if you counted this occasion. She looked up from her dinner. "For the last time, Arthur, Merlin said he would _try_ to be back by evening."

Arthur scowled, "Well it's evening now, and he's not here!"

"Then he'll be back in the morning." Guinevere said firmly, leaving no room for argument. "And for the record, George isn't _that_ bad!"

Even though George was a more efficient servant than Merlin, Arthur still preferred his quirky friend. Arthur also _hated_ bootlickers. It taken about half an hour of his grovelling before Arthur had finally snapped, dismissing him for the rest of the day.

"He'd better be," Arthur snorted, "or I'll kill him myself!

Gwen shot him a disapproving look.

* * *

She chirped curiously, watching Merlin pick clumps of leaves and blossoms from a plant. He looked up.

"Relax, it's just comfrey." He said, pointing to the violet blossoms. She gave him a blank look, she didn't care for plants, she ate meat. Merlin sighed, turning back to his work he muttered, "Also known as symphytum."

She didn't look up.

They say inspiration chooses to strike at the oddest moments, and it chose do to so now. Merlin looked up again

"Hey. How'd you like to be called Symphy?" Merlin asked, excitement colouring his tone, "It wouldn't be a bad choice, seeing that it _was_ the plant I was looking for when I found you!"

She paused, considering it. As pretty as the name sounded... no. She resumed preening, knowing he would understand.

"Come on!" Merlin tried again, "If that's a no, then how about Symphora? Maybe even Symphorosa? They're not bad names!"

This time he was rewarded with a glare, Merlin pursed his lips.

"Back to the drawing board, then."

* * *

"Merlin! Where on earth have you been?" Scolded Gaius the moment he saw Merlin walking in, "Everyone assumed you went herb-gathering for me, but that wouldn't take you _this_ long! Dinner was a half hour ago! And where is the merlin bird?"

Merlin cringed inwardly. It was going to be a long night, but first-

"I did go herb gathering, I got you the comfrey I forgot yesterday!" He said, handing his mentor the large bundle of herbs. Gaius raised an eyebrow. Seeing this, the only thing Merlin could do was, "Look, I'll explain everything once I've fed her," He took a slightly rumpled bird out of one of his inner pockets and set her down, "Stay here, I'll go get you something." Then he walked rapidly out of the room, leaving behind a slightly shell-shocked Gaius.

He looked towards the falcon, who was busily preening her rumpled feathers back into shape on the table. Gaius couldn't help but raise both his eyebrows.

"How you have managed to spend an entire day with him is beyond me."

* * *

Merlin came back a few minutes later with a large chunk of meat in hand, the falcon brightening at the sight. She looked _very_ hungry.

"So, Merlin," Gaius said as his ward set the meat in front of the ravenous bird, who promptly began tearing into it, "Care to explain what you really did today?" You surely couldn't have spent the entire day looking for comfrey." Merlin shot him a world-weary look.

"This is going to be a long night." He sighed, almost to himself

Gaius was bemused, "Why? Whatever do you mean?"

Trust me," Merlin said, putting his head in his hands, "I don't get half of it myself."

The physician sat down. He had a feeling that Merlin was right in his assumption. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

The falcon had fallen asleep by the time Merlin had finished. It really did take a long time. Merlin had also never seen Gaius amazed before, it was a novel experience.

"You know, yesterday when I said that your magic still managed to astound me, I didn't believe it could do it again," Admitted Gaius, "Yet now, it has done it again. I'm amazed. Simply amazed.

Merlin gave a small smile, "You sound just like Kilgharrah when he found out." He said, "He was so surprised." Gaius raised an eyebrow.

"I'd be astonished if he weren't." Then he spoke again, "Do you really believe that you can teach to fly using this bond?"

"Yeah, I've already started, actually." Merlin replied, much to the surprise of Gaius, "We made quite a bit of progress today."

"Really?" Merlin nodded, wondering where this was going, "I'm impressed." The young man grinned, it was rare for Gaius to dish out compliments.

"Speaking of which, have you chosen a name for her?"

"No. I wanted to call her Symphora, but she didn't like it."

"Symphora?" Gaius questioned, puzzled, "Where did you get that from?"

"Well, I was looking for comfrey on the day I found her, so I thought I'd try to call her something based of symphytum." Gaius knew what that was, after all, he was a physician!

"That wasn't such a bad idea. I don't know why she didn't like it."

Merlin shrugged again, "Neither do I, so I'm still trying to think of more."

A silence fell upon them as both tired to think of a suitable name. But even as the lack of noise grew, save for the bird's breathing, Gaius found his mind wandering towards the legends foretold about Albion. Then an idea struck.

"Merlin," He began, "Some of the legends refer to you as Emrys Ambrosius, so surely you could consider that as a name?"

"What, Ambrosius?" The physician nodded. "But she's a girl, Gaius, and that's more of a masculine name!" Protested Merlin, "Besides, it'd pretty much be like calling her Merlin, seeing that Ambrosius refers to me as well."

"You don't need to directly call her Ambrosius," Gaius tried again, "Perhaps something like Ambrosia? That's more feminine.'

Merlin snorted, "Sounds like something Arthur would do, trying to make me sound like a girl." But he soon sobered, "But it is a nice name, I'll have to ask her first." He reached out a hand to wake her when a sudden thought struck him.

"Wait..."

Gaius gave him a quizzical look, "What is it?"

"Doesn't Ambrosia mean 'food of the gods'?"

"Erm-" Gaius' response was cut off by Merlin, who was still speaking.

"Because I don't know about you, but I'm not entirely sure if I want to name her something that translates to 'sustenance of the immortals, if you get my meaning," Merlin said, much to the amusement of Gaius, "And I'm not sure if she would want me to either."

Gaius sighed. "Well I'm sure you'll think of something. Speaking of food, aren't you hungry?" His uncle asked, looking at Merlin's thin frame, "Guinevere sent us some rabbit stew, for when you came back." Merlin shook his head at the mention of food. He wasn't.

It was strange. He had been ravenous on the way back to Camelot, but now he didn't feel as if he could even eat a single bite of the stew Gaius mentioned. No, if he had to eat, he'd much rather some bread, or a piece of fruit. He just didn't have much of an appetite at all whatsoever.

Gaius gave Merlin an incredulous look. He evidently didn't believe that Merlin wasn't hungry. He raised an eyebrow, clearly telling his ward that it was foolish to try and argue. Merlin finally caved in.

"Fine, fine! I'll eat something!" Looking around, he grabbed an apple from a fruitbowl that the head cook sent up each week, grabbed the sleeping falcon, who awoke with an indignant squawk, and fled to his room.

Still sitting at the table, Gaius' features softened into a fond smile. Merlin had not changed since he walked into his chambers all those years ago.

* * *

 **(A/N)** There are a few things that I want to address.

I want to thank everyone who suggested names, but I also want you to know that I have chosen what to call her.

The quality of the writing was complete sh*t, I know, and I'm sorry about that, but I can't help it, I don't have much experience in dialogue whatsoever. Seriously considering getting a BETA at this point.

Otherwise, please leave a review if you read this, I don't care if you're a guest, it does help! :)

Happy New Year!

 **Edit 25/04/2017- It was just after I had said those fateful words "Seriously considering getting a BETA at this point." that I found Seedsiz! Who became, and has since been my ever-faithful beta!**

 **As it turns out, I wasn't very far off when I said that my writing was sh*t. So glad I'm taking the time now to fix all of the typos and improve phrasing and story flow!**


	8. Naming her

**(A/N)** \- I'm back! Sorry about the little delay, I had to tweak this a little

REVIEWS!

 **BooksAreMedicine** \- I got that from Inheritance, Brisingr. Roran says something similar to Eragon at the beginning of the book! Oh... Just so you know... Have fun in this chapter!

WolfGirl\- Don't forget! their bond will only get stronger! As for the Knights... they'll show up eventually! :P

 **Lya200** \- You actually posted another drabble today! Yass! Arthur won't find out in this chapter, sorry!

NC\- Thank you! I didn't want to chuck everyone else's suggestions out the window just because I wasn't going to use it, so that was my solution! And about the dialogue between all the different characters, remember, I had such enormous fun writing that chapter as a whole! :D THANK YOU! Percival and the falcon... Hmmm I'll keep that in mind.

 **ShadowDragon1317** \- I was inspired by that review to do a little one-shot, go to my profile! I laughed so hard while reading what you wrote! As for Aithusa...:)

light bulb\- Is your name in sync with your review? Nice! As for what your theory is... maybe...

 **Seedsiz** \- THANK YOU SO MUCH! Won't tell you why, you already know! :) **Edit 25/04/2017 - go to the bottom to find out why!**

 **Grank** \- interesting name! And no... I know you already know this, but that wasn't the reference! Sorry!

Right! For those who don't know yet, I did a little drabbly one-shot to this, called **'A Pocketful of Bird'** it should be on my profile! Check it out! It was inspired by **ShadowDragon1317** 's review.

Kept forgetting to do disclaimers... so let's go CaptainOzone style!

IDOM

* * *

"Sorry, sorry. _I'm_ SORRY!"

This did little to avert the angry glare that the falcon was giving him. Waking Arthur was certainly easier than this; he had no problem dragging the king of Camelot out of his bed, and here he was quivering in front of a baby falcon. Cripes...

"Look, I said I was sorry!"

This time the bird merely turned away and began preening herself, her back towards him. Merlin almost rolled his eyes. Almost. What was she trying to gain from giving him the cold shoulder?

"It could've been worse, you know." He said, trying again, "Gaius suggested I name you Ambrosius." The look of sheer disbelief that met his words was priceless. Merlin chuckled, "yeah, I know. Your reaction was just about the same as mine – I said no – mainly because it was a male name."

She chirped in agreement. He wondered what her reaction would be to the other name Gaius had proposed. "Since I didn't like Ambrosius he thought the feminine version of the name would be better."

She looked up again, cocking her head to one side, curious.

Merlin leant back against the wall, "What do you think of Ambrosia?"

The dark eyes blinked. That wasn't bad! But then why?-

"I know it isn't a bad name," Merlin said, sensing her reaction, "but the reason I said no was because of the meaning behind it. Ambrosia basically translates to 'food of the gods,' and I didn't want to call you that."

She ruffled her feathers in agreement.

Smiling gently, he walked to the table and began stroking her, marveling at the sheer softness of the feathers as he ran his fingers down. She purred and closed her eyes, evidently enjoying the attention, earlier anger forgotten.

"I'm sure I'll think of something in the morning," he whispered, bringing his head down to her level.

Only inches away on the table, the apple lay uneaten and forgotten.

* * *

Merlin awoke to a curious noise, although perhaps it wasn't all that curious when one considered who was sleeping in the room with him. The 'curious noise' turned out to be the flapping of wings.

Flap... Flap-flap...

"What're you doing?" groaned Merlin from his place on the bed. He opened his eyes. Judging by what he saw, the falcon had been attempting to fly from one end of the table to the other. She squawked when she saw him stir. She was hungry.

"Alright! I'm up!"

The bird flapped her wings again.

He looked outside. Considering what they had gotten up to yesterday, Merlin had woken up rather early, probably because _she'd_ woken him up. Clambering out of bed, Merlin eyed the fluff ball responsible for him being on time for once, "I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?"

She chirped.

Donning his leather jacket and tying on his signature red neckerchief, he headed out.

* * *

Guinevere looked up from the bed as the door opened and Merlin walked in, carrying their breakfast.

"Merlin!" She exclaimed happily, embracing him as soon as the placed the tray on the table. Merlin returned the hug, a wide smile spreading over his face.

"Happy to see me?" He asked softly, voice muffling slightly as he spoke through the curls of Gwen's long, dark brown hair.

"Where were you?" she asked anxiously, coming out of the hug, "You weren't back by evening yesterday!"

Merlin grinned sheepishly. "Sorry Gwen, I-"

"And just what do you think you're doing with my wife?" demanded a voice from the bed. They both jumped, looking towards the source: Arthur. The king had woken up just in time to see the embrace between his wife and Merlin, and he was slightly annoyed.

"Oh... erm..." Merlin cringed inwardly. _Great, just great_. He opened his mouth to speak again when Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Never mind that," he waved Merlin off, "first things first." Sitting up in bed, he looked at Merlin, who was still looking sheepish. "Where the hell were you yesterday?"

The servant started quizzically at his words. He looked at the Queen, who was frowning in disapproval at Arthur. "Um... didn't Gwen tell you where I was?" he asked, more to Gwen than Arthur, "I asked her to tell you-"

The king cut through him, "She d-"

"-as a matter of fact she did." Now Gwen was glaring at Arthur, who, although he didn't show it, quailed slightly.

"I know you did, but-" Arthur tried speaking again, only to be shot down again.

"I even asked the palace guards, and they saw him leaving for the forest right after breakfast, so he didn't go to the tavern Arthur."

Merlin started at Guinevere's words. "You thought I went to the tavern?!" Then seeing the answer written upon his face, he repeated it, "You actually though I went to the tavern." It wasn't so much a question; it was a statement. A fact.

Merlin saw Arthur open his mouth to reply, and Gwen saw it too, speaking before her husband could get even a single word out.

"Merlin."

He looked over at her. "I think you should leave us and come back after breakfast." She was glaring at something over his shoulder. He had a feeling that she wasn't happy with Arthur. Following her gaze, Merlin was just in time to see Arthur freeze and pale.

He had never seen Arthur like this. Arthur was afraid.

Afraid of Guinevere.

* * *

As Merlin made his 'escape' out of the room, he wondered what he'd just witnessed. When they'd faced the immortal army, Arthur had been filled with a grim determination. Facing the Dorocha... well, that had come pretty close, but not quite. He had watched as his King offered to sacrifice himself without any qualms, only showing extensive worry for his people, and feeling regret at the harsh realisation that he wouldn't be coming back.

Determination, worry, regret... all of those things were to be expected of Arthur – and Merlin had seen those emotions from him time and time again – but fear? If immortal armies, the dead (and the undead), and the prospect of one's death couldn't do it, then how did Guinevere manage it?

He paused and pursed his lips, frowning. Perhaps it was just one of those things that only wives could accomplish.

At the back of his mind, he could feel the hunger of the merlin increase as she realised that he was on his way back. Grinning, he doubled his pace, suddenly very eager to arrive at his destination as fast as he could. But that wasn't why he was grinning, oh no...

They say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. He could only imagine what lay in store for Arthur.

* * *

The falcon was happily tearing away at the meat when Gaius entered. His mentor frowned when he saw the bird eating her meal, "Merlin! You could at least spread a cloth out!" he groaned, "I make most of my remedies on that!" Gaius pointed to the juice marks left by the meat on the table. Merlin grimaced. Oops...

Bringing the falcon downstairs had seemed like a good idea at the time- after all, seeing the same room all the time had to be boring, right? "Sorry Gaius," he mumbled sheepishly, making a mental note not to make the same mistake again.

Gaius huffed in exasperation, really it was just common sense! "So have you decided on one, yet?" Gaius asked, changing the subject, "A name for the falcon," he added when Merlin looked at him askance.

"Oh..." Merlin glanced at the bird, who was nearly finished with her food. "No, I really should though. Can't keep referring to her as a she, can I?"

The edges of Gaius' mouth rose a little when a memory struck him. "Yes, you really should find a name for her. She reminds me too much of Elena."

Merlin looked at him incredulously. "Gaius you can't be serious."

The physician turned and picked up his various bottles, hiding a smile when the incredulous look on Merlin's face turned into astonishment, "Did you just make a joke?"

In response, Gaius walked towards the door to go off on his rounds. Behind him, he heard a muttered "Did he really just crack a joke about a Sidhe..."

Just before he walked out of the doorway, Gaius glanced back. "See you in the afternoon, Merlin. Good luck with finding a name for your pet!"

And with that, he left.

* * *

Both Merlin and the falcon had started angrily at Gaius' words.

"Pet?" breathed Merlin, "Pet?!" Besides him, he heard the bird squawk indignantly, and he wasn't surprised.

He reached out a hand to calm her, stroking the downy feathers atop her breast, waiting until she had settled somewhat.

"You are so much more than a pet," he murmured, "You're like a friend to me, a companion, really." Reaching out with his mind, the agreement practically radiated from her. Feeling this, Merlin should've felt elated, but...

He frowned. No. 'Friend' didn't quite describe it. 'Companion' came close, very, very close, but not quite.

Growing up, Merlin had never really had much of a family. Families were overlapping layers of trust, friendship, understanding, kindness, joy, and love bonded together between the members until it was so strong it was inseparable. Merlin had never experienced this, all he'd really had was his mother, for his father had been absent for nearly all of his life. Siblings were also something he could only imagine, as he was the only child. He'd never known what it was like to have a little brother, nor would he ever know the joy of caring for a sister.

Or would he?

Looking at the bond between him and her, he was really beginning to see the sheer depth of it. Her personality and traits were slowly making themselves known, and he was certain that the same was true for her. Was this what it was like to have a sister?

A sister...

That was it! She was more of a sister to him than anything else! The sister he never had!

Looking into her deep dark eyes, he chose a name within the very depths of his mind, something he knew she would agree on.

 _"Freira."_

 _Sister._

* * *

 ** _Edit 25/04/2017- This is the first chapter where Seedsiz started editing for me! (She's not my official beta until later) she refused the publicity until I forced it upon her later on!  
_**


	9. Chapter 9

**(A/N)- SO MANY OF YOU GUYS FOLLOWED! THANK YOU!**

Cripes. Did not expect this many of you people to read this. I told someone before I started publishing that I would be happy if **5** people faved and followed, 20 max. Well, that ended up getting thrown completely out of the window! **(For the record, almost 4 months later I am no longer friends with said person)**

REVIEWS!

 **BooksAreMedicine** \- Yeah... got that from Ranger's Apprentice! The scenes with Halt and Pauline! I had fun doing that too!

 **Shadowdragon1317** \- That she is! But I'm not sure if she'll actually "leave a present"...

 **mersan123** \- I wondered when I'd be seeing you! I've seen you on quite a lot of fics, so this is an honour! Scary Gwen was an excellent idea, now that I think about it!

NC\- I really want you to know how thankful I am to you for all the support! I loved the scenes with Arthur and Gwen too, although I did have a little help with some of those...

light bulb\- Back at it again with all those brilliant strokes of realisation! I had no idea that I'd done this until you told me. Your name fits with the kind of reviews you write! LOVE IT! :)

 **Lya200** \- Thanks! Courtesy of BooksAreMedicine, so thank her too!

I really want to thank all those who have faved, followed and reviewed, especially those who have been here since the first few chapters. You have my utmost respect and thanks!

Just a heads up, Freira is pronounced Free-ehr-uh. The r is sorta hard to transcribe, just imagine the rolling/ flicking your tongue off the roof of your mouth so that it sounds a little like "Flree- ehrl-uh."

IDOM- On with the fic!

* * *

 **Seedsiz, This chapter is dedicated to you! For reasons we both already know. THANK YOU SO MUCH! :3**

* * *

If this was what happened whenever his manservant received a day off, Arthur wasn't sure whether he'd give Merlin another one. Ever.

Getting served by George one whole day had been bad enough, but two in a row was complete torture. Also taking into account the part where his angry-as-hell wife had yelled at him – and then been mad at him for the whole night – he'd had a bad enough day to last him a month.

And that was when Merlin decided to walk in.

* * *

He was elated! It had taken a while, yes, but he'd finally managed to name her! Merlin was grinning like a madman all the way to Arthur's chambers at the thought of Freira. Ever since he had spoken her name out loud and she, in turn, had accepted it, their bond had strengthened considerably. It was as if a whole new layer to her personality had opened to him and no matter how far apart they were, her presence always lingered inside his head.

 _A name_ , Merlin mused, _is an important thing indeed_. For what is a man without his name? Your name defined you, shaped you, and even granted you a form of immortality through your offspring. Your name owned you, just as much as you owned it.

Merlin stopped in his tracks. Everything made so much more sense now! Your name was your identity, and that was why naming Freira had had such an impact on their relationship. It wasn't another part of her that he'd discovered, but the truest part of her! Freira _was_ indeed a fitting name. His smiled returned full force as he resumed his march through the castle. Thankfully nobody happened to pass by him on the way there, or else it would've earned him several odd looks. Finally managing to school his expression into something more neutral, he opened the door to Arthur's chambers and walked inside.

* * *

"Do you _ever_ knock?" snapped a voice from the window.

Merlin sighed inwardly. Arthur wouldn't be in much of a good mood after an angry Gwen, now would he?

"Nope!" He replied cheerfully, popping the 'p'. Whenever Arthur was like this, Merlin always became extra cheery just to annoy the king, giving Arthur an outlet for his anger. _If only Arthur knew what I do for him._

Arthur scowled. "Did you _really_ go herb-gathering yesterday?" he asked suspiciously, watching his manservant carefully.

"Course I did." He quipped back, "Or do you think I was getting drunk off of tree sap?"

Merlin began clearing the dishes from breakfast, mind inwardly racing. Contrary to what Arthur believed, he was actually rather good at lying, but that didn't ease the guilt that gnawed at him from doing so. Not that it was a complete lie, he had gotten some comfrey. He thought that was the end of it, but Arthur clearly wasn't done, "What herbs did you gather?"

This question made him pause. "Comfrey mostly..." Seeing the suspicious lines on Arthur's face deepen, he hurriedly made the list longer, "But also some lady's mantle, yarrow..." he paused, trying to remember the others, "... and hogwart and fenugreek." That wasn't technically a lie - Arthur hadn't asked him to specify what he'd gathered on what day, so that was the truth... at least most of it.

Arthur still looked like he wanted to pursue the matter, so Merlin quickly changed tactic. "Don't tell me you're _thinking_ again _._ You really ought to give it a rest, especially after what happened yesterday with Gwe-

"Shut up, _Mer_ lin!"

Merlin grinned.

* * *

 _Council meetings_ , decided Merlin, _are the worst first thing in the morning_. He stifled a yawn.

 _Or in the afternoon. Or evening… well, maybe not the evening._

At least in the evening hours, he actually had something to do – like serving wine – but alcohol wasn't present in the morning. So instead of standing at the side of Arthur, he had to go to the back of the room and stand against the wall, bored out of his mind while the lords and advisors squabbled about land, taxes and other equally boring subjects.

"... And there is an issue with some farmers about a land dispute..." Merlin stifled another yawn. There were always some farmers and a land dispute. Lord this wanted to raise the taxes, Spokesman that argued that the villagers couldn't _._ How anyone could bear doing this, he had no idea, especially when the vast majority of the problems were so stupid and straightforward!

 _Stupid king - stupid problems,_ he thought in a rare moment of disobedience. Fine, it wasn't a rare moment, but he had admitted just this morning that he had a lying problem.

As what usually happens to everyone during times of great boredom, Merlin inevitably found his mind wandering. Wandering until...

 _Chirp._

He blinked and straightened. _What? Oh!_

His mind had unconsciously drawn itself to Freira. Not terribly surprising, considering he hadn't anything else to do.

 _Wait..._

Just how powerful was this mental bond? Kilgharrah had told him that it was likely to grow stronger over time, and it had. Two days ago he was only able to understand her needs, but now they were having direct conversations whenever they felt like it. But what if that wasn't the only thing they could do?

Reaching out further, he kept inching his consciousness into hers, trying to intertwine their minds until...

 _Whoa!_

All of a sudden, he could feel her emotions and thoughts! He could even feel the tiny movements as she took each breath. Merlin was amazed. Who knew that this was possible? It felt like he was sitting on the table in his room with her!

But could he take it one step further?

Letting her thoughts flow into him, he began to break down his mental barriers, letting his own thoughts slide away. He closed his eyes on the scene at the council.

And opened them in his room.

* * *

Out of the corner of his eye, Arthur saw Merlin stiffen where he was leaning on the wall. Seeing that he had nothing better to do – not that he'd ever admit it – he made sure that the advisors were well and truly occupied with their next problem (something about an ox and a missing cart) before turning his gaze towards Merlin.

Merlin's eyes had glazed over, and he had the look of a man staring at something far off in the distance. Arthur watched as a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, although what his manservant was thinking about he had no idea. He made a mental note to question him about it later, regardless of the fact that he knew Merlin wouldn't tell.

Merlin began to frown in concentration, _but at what?_ As far as he could tell, he wasn't doing anything! Yet as soon as he ended the thought, Merlin's eyes widened in shock, possibly amazement

And then they closed.

"-I still think we should just get them to pay the man for the cart!" The beginnings of a yelling match forced Arthur to resume attention and sort it out before it got out of hand. Leave them to their own devices for one minute, and they get into a fight like little children. It was _ridiculous_ really!

* * *

Merlin spread his- her wings out, looking at them. Was he really controlling Freira's body?

 _I can see why you want to fly so badly now! With wings like these..._ He gave them a few experimental flaps, watching how the shoulders instinctively twisted to the side slightly at the end of each one to reduce the drag. Amazing!

 _Hey, could I try something?_

She gave a mental chirp.

Using the memories Kilgharrah had given him, he took off with her legs and glided from one end of the table to the other smoothly. He sensed her slight envy at the perfect landing. _So that's what you were trying to do this morning!_

Distancing his consciousness slightly so that he could only feel and see her movements, he sent her the recent memory and had her try it. She took off and spread her wings mid jump, gliding for one, long moment. Shooting out her talons as she landed, she gripped the hardwood table. Perfect.

 _Well_ done! Merlin congratulated her. _We'll do some more soon!_

After letting her bask for a moment more at her victory, he returned to his own self _._

And not a moment too soon.

* * *

There was only so much a King could take. Glancing over to where Merlin was, he saw that the servant's eyes were still closed. Perhaps he was trying to block out all the droning. Smart. _Why hadn't he thought of that?_

When he could take no more, he stood up and adjourned the meeting, ignoring the cries and protests from the advisors. One of them was foolish enough to voice them.

"But my lord! We are yet-" Arthur cut him off with a glare. The man paled. The other lords took this as a cue to leave. The hall quickly filled with the scrapings of hastily drawn chairs and hurried footsteps. When most of them had filed out of the room, Arthur looked to Merlin again.

He had not moved. His eyes were still closed as he leant against the wall. If he didn't know his friend any better, Arthur would've assumed that the man was sleeping. But no matter how boring the meetings got, Merlin had never fallen asleep in the middle of one before. Maybe Gwen was right, and he was overworking him. _No that couldn't be it. Merlin had just had a day off!_ Vaguely wondering if it really _was_ possible to get drunk of tree sap, he decided to wake him, " _Mer_ lin."

Nothing.

"Merlin?" Arthur started taking steps towards him, "Merlin!"

To his immense relief, Merlin finally opened his eyes, looking around wildly until his gaze settled upon Arthur.

"What- where's everyone else?"

Arthur snorted and rolled his eyes to conceal his worry and relief. "The meeting's _over_ Merlin! You just slept through it!"

"I wasn't sleeping." The man said quickly.

"Oh?" Arthur raised an eyebrow, "Then what were you doing?"

"I was... thinking."

Even if he was as ignorant as Merlin claimed he was, Arthur certainly wasn't blind. He had seen the slight hesitation in his speech. Merlin wasn't lying, Arthur was sure of that. In fact, he had a feeling that his manservant wasn't sure of the answer anymore than he was. Filing away the information for later, Arthur decided to let it go for now.

At least, most of it.

"Thinking?" Arthur repeated, "Well don't hurt yourself!"

"Can't even think up your own insults?" he teased back.

In response, Arthur simply patted him on the shoulder. "It's training time Merlin. Go fetch my equipment."

As he walked away, he could hear Merlin groan loudly.

* * *

He noticed it again when he was training.

Today he was working with the newer recruits, meaning Merlin couldn't be used as a dummy in case he got hurt, leaving the manservant nothing to do but just sit and watch from the sidelines.

He was waiting for his next opponent to come from the other side of the training field when he glanced over his shoulder to see Merlin, sitting on the bench and frowning with his eyes closed.

"Ready, Sire?" a voice asked. It was Sir Wallace, his next partner.

Arthur nodded, "just one moment." He turned to look at Merlin again. "Merlin!" he called and was gratified to see the servant jerk his head towards him, annoyed. "Quit sleeping and start polishing my spare sword, else I'll have you thrown into the stocks!"

Said man glared at him.

Ignoring this, he turned back to a slightly bemused knight.

" _Now_ I'm ready."

* * *

Merlin frowned while he watched Arthur spar.

 _Of course, he'd have to say that. Heaven forbid his manservant to have some time off._

It was difficult enough for him to maintain the mental connection with Freira when there weren't any distractions, let alone when Arthur was calling out to him just for the sake of it. Then his frown deepened. Why was he so irritated? He should be used to Arthur's prattish behaviour by now! Dismissing the thought, he closed his eyes again. Re-establishing the bond, he found Freira was also annoyed at the unexpected disruption. Feeling this, he couldn't help but grin.

If Freira was a human, he had a feeling that she'd be a match for Gwen.

* * *

Over the course of the training session, Merlin continued to orientate himself in Freira's body. It was a fascinating, yet confusing experience for him. He would try to walk, only to find that he could only do a rough shuffle as a bird of prey. When he reached out his arms, he found feathers where there should be skin. Several times he had to return to his own body when it got too disorientating.

Surprisingly, Freira didn't seem to mind, rather, she seemed amused at his effort and progress. By the end of the hour-long training session, Merlin had managed to familiarise himself sufficiently.

"I see you're not sleeping, for a change." Merlin looked up.

"Perhaps it's because I wasn't in your boring presence." He shot back. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Come on; we have a patrol to go on."

* * *

It was evening when the patrol – composed of Arthur, his closest knights, and Merlin – returned from the forest, laughing and joking with one another.

Well, at least most of them were.

Percival had always been a quiet man, a quality many least expected when they looked at his immense bulk. Even on patrols with his closest friends he would only occasionally add to the conversation.

He was a man of few words, but not the quite the way people tended to think about it. People always assumed that because he was a giant, he was clumsy and slow. They would note his silence and think him stupid and dim-witted. But they were always wrong. Always.

Sir Percival was neither slow nor clumsy, nothing could be farther from the truth. He was one of the fastest men on the battlefield, but given his height and muscular form he tried to convey his gentleness through other means, mainly through speech. Or rather his lack of speech.

Just because he was quiet didn't necessarily mean he couldn't think of anything useful to say, he just preferred to let others say it for him. In reality, he had a witty mind to rival Merlin's!

 _Ah. Merlin._

As they reached the gates of the castle, the thought of the lanky, raven-headed man made his features take on a solemn look.

There was another aspect to his quiet nature. He was more of a listener than a talker. A watcher. Percival was the kind of person to notice more about his surroundings. Which led to the subject of Merlin.

Throughout the patrol, the man had seemed a little... off. Distant, one could say. Sure, the man still talked and bantered about with everyone else like he always did, but whenever he thought nobody was looking, he would go quiet for short periods of time. As he dismounted his horse in the courtyard, he wondered whether something was troubling Merlin, and the man was merely trying to keep it from them. Passing the reins to a stable boy, he turned to Merlin.

"Could I talk to you?" He made sure to keep his voice down, so that Arthur, who was nearby, wouldn't hear.

Merlin gave him a bemused smile, then shrugged. "Sure."

Behind them, they could hear Gwaine enthusing about something to Leon and Elyan. Judging by their looks of exasperation and amused indulgence, they were probably discussing a trip to the tavern.

Percival looked at the scene. "Never changes, does he?"

The two of them shared a laugh before the knight led Merlin a few metres away from the others.

"So… what's this about?" Merlin asked. "I didn't do anything to offend you, did I?"

"What?" Seeing the gentle mirth in the man's eyes, he realised Merlin was pulling his leg. "No, not this time, although you still haven't made it up to me," he joked back.

Merlin liked talking to Percival. He was a really perceptive man (unlike Arthur) and often heard important things when people simply forgot he was there. Sometimes he had even unintentionally helped Merlin save Arthur's life. "Well then what is it?" Merlin prompted, "I can't imagine you just dragging me here for the sake of it, big guy!"

"No, I can't either," the knight chuckled. But his expression soon became serious.

"Merlin..." He began hesitantly, "are you alright? You seem rather quiet today." He knew of some of the things the servant had done for Arthur. Lancelot had singled him out on the way to the Isle of the Blessed, just days before his death. Based on what Lancelot told him, goodness knows what hardships Merlin had gone through over the years from protecting Arthur. Percival didn't really know what kind of reaction he'd get, but what he got was something else entirely.

Merlin looked confused. _Confused_. "I'm not sure if I know what you mean."

"You just seemed a bit distant on patrol," the big man elaborated, "I just wondered if something was troubling you."

Merlin's expression cleared immediately. "Oh, that!"

"What?"

"It's nothing bad," Merlin reassured him, "but thanks for checking up on me anyway." Although that did lessen the worry, it didn't dissipate completely.

"You sure, mate? You can always tell me."

Something close to guilt flashed across Merlin's face as he said that. But it was gone as soon as it came. "I'm fine." Merlin slapped him on the arm good-naturedly, where the sleeves were cropped short to show off his muscles. He turned to leave, but Percival had one more thing to say.

"Lancelot asked me something, you know?"

Merlin froze.

"He asked me, pleaded with me, almost."

Silence. The courtyard was empty save for the two of them.

"'Course, he didn't need to, he really didn't. I was happy to do it anyway." Merlin still didn't move, but Percival thought he could see him shaking slightly. Ever so slightly.

"He asked me to look after you."

The silence was deafening.

Finally, in a hoarse whisper, Merlin spoke, back still turned towards him. "When was this?"

"On the way to the Isle of the Blessed."

Percival hadn't known Merlin as well as he did now when Lancelot died, but even then it was obvious that Lancelot and Merlin had shared a strong friendship. For weeks after his death Merlin had refused to talk about him, beating himself up for what happened. Nobody seemed to understand this until Arthur finally admitted that Merlin had told him that he planned to sacrifice himself in Arthur's place. After that, nobody could say anything to comfort him. Not even Arthur.

It seemed, that the guilt still remained after all this time.

Looking back at Percival, the man spoke two words that seemed to convey all that. All the guilt and suffering.

"Thank you."

Yet a small smile graced Merlin's lips.

* * *

 **(A/N)** \- This chapter was going have a lot more in it, but then the idea for this little scene came up... so...

It'll all be in the next chapter!

Sorry it took a little longer to come out, but I hope it was worth the wait!

And for the last time, I don't give a crap if you're a guest, just review! _PLEASE!_ Tell me about mistakes, tell me about things I should do! Tell me about the chapter in general!

Is that too much to ask!?

Massive thank you to Seedsiz!

 **Edit 25/04/2017- Yes! MASSIVE THANK YOU TO SEEDSIZ! Since chapter 7, I've hardly had to correct anything! If you're reading this Sizzles, THANK YOU SO, SO MUCH!**


	10. Chapter 10

**(A/N)** \- Hi... I'm back...

There's a reason why I don't tend to respond to reviews personally... the reason why?

Despite what the majority might think, I'm extremely grateful for every single one of them, so I try to show that by thanking you guys with a position in the Author's notes! Please don't get annoyed, it's just how I roll!

 _Reviews!_

BooksAreMedicine- Thanks! I really loved writing that bit. Percival meeting Freira first... Hmm...

Evanline101- I'm so sorry! It's fixed now!

Shadowdragon1317- Glad you like the choice of names! The one-shot might not be a one-shot for too long, so keep your eyes peeled! :)

Lya200- Probably because I thought of it? I dunno, but I can always imagine Lancelot doing this, the noble guy! :D

Moni Hasnone- At last! Someone who found what they were looking for! I wanted to read a Merlin-merlin fic, but I couldn't find one ANYWHERE! So I just ended up doing this instead. Hope you enjoy reading with all of us! :P

NC\- Ah... You wonderful person! Messenger Freira? That's a new idea... I'll keep it in mind! Percival was interesting to write, as I can sometimes relate to him. As for the mischief and the bird behaviour info, THANK GOD YOU MENTIONED THAT! I forgot about how birds always mess things up! Thank you, SO MUCH!

light bulb\- Like I said in the last chapter, back at it again with those comical reviews! Love 'em to bits! Although I really don't advise inebriating yourself using tree sap... it's not safe... I think... (Heads up to Seedsiz for coming up with that!)

MagicWarriorDragon- Welcome to the crew! So glad that you're liking this so far and the idea of Merlin getting a merlin! Hope to see you in this chapter too!

Jupitere- I'm sorry that this update took a little longer! Nice meeting you too, fellow Alagaësia fan! And no, the name Freira is not the same as Freya, I tried to make them as different as possible!

MsPercy\- Yay! A Percival fan! There won't be much of Percival in this chapter, though. Sorry!

I've been asked by MagicWarriorDragon whether this is a reveal fic, and unfortunately, it's not. However, this is the first book in a series called Merlin's Destiny. For more answers go to my profile!

* * *

 _This chapter is dedicated to a few guests and one fierce_ dragon _who was there with me from the start!_ _NC_ _,_ _the guest who told me to keep going_ _,_ _WolfGirl_ _and Shadowdragon1317!_

* * *

 _"He asked me to look after you."_

Those words continued to whirl around in Merlin's head as he half-walked, half-ran through the castle, uncaring about where he was headed. Finally stumbling into an empty corridor, he leant against the wall for support as all the guilt came crashing down.

Far off, he could feel Freira pushing at him, trying to talk to him. He pushed her away. No, not now.

Even after so many months, the grief was still there, the guilt still fresh in his mind.

So was the memory.

* * *

Three figures stood at the edge of a dark courtyard in ruins. The cold wind and the darkness only made to unsettle them further, but that wasn't what they were worried about. In the very centre of the courtyard, in front of a stone altar, stood the veil. The ghostly screams of the undead only adding to the unsettling atmosphere. For a moment, Arthur, Merlin and Lancelot watched the veil, their faces set in grim lines.

One moment, the darkened courtyard was empty, save for the veil. Then the Cailleach was simply _there_.

"I know what you want!"

"Do you?" the Cailleach asked, amused and mocking, "And are you willing to let me have it?"

Her tone alone made Merlin's blood boil.

Face grim as stone, Arthur answered. "I'm prepared to pay whatever price is necessary."

Raising one pale hand, the woman gestured with her finger for the prince to step forwards. With slow steps Arthur began to walk, determination radiating from every line in his body.

But then Merlin raised his own hand. No, Arthur wouldn't be the one to die here, even if it was the last thing he'd ever do.

At the flash of his eyes, Arthur was bodily flung backwards, head colliding with the cold, unforgiving stone of the courtyard. Merlin felt a slight twinge of guilt before dismissing it. Arthur would have a hell of a headache later on, yes, but at least he'd still be alive.

Merlin stepped forwards. The Cailleach did the same.

"So, Emrys," she remarked, "You choose to challenge me after all."

He said nothing, merely continuing to watch those sad, dark eyes.

By unspoken consent, they began to circle one another around the stone altar.

"Will you give yourself to the spirits to save your prince?" They stopped circling at that, now facing one another perpendicular to the veil.

 _Would he?_ The answer to that had been so easy mere days ago. After all, w _hy_ wouldn't he? He was, after all saving Arthur's life by risking his own every day. And yet… even if he was prepared to die for Arthur time and time again, that didn't mean he didn't want to be a part of the future Arthur would one day build. He would sacrifice himself in Arthur's place, there had never been any doubt and Merlin uttered the next words, his heart heavy.

"It is my destiny," the warlock replied in a low voice, his eyes never once leaving the face in front of him. Only it wasn't the Cailleach he was seeing, but the ones he would leave behind and the ones he would save by doing this. He hadn't wanted Arthur to die but in his mind's eye he could see them all; his mother, Gaius, Gwen, the Knights, the countless innocents. Even Uther. And the girl that had pleaded with them, the one that had lost everyone. Merlin didn't want someone to ever feel like that again. He knew what a bitter curse loneliness was.

She dipped her chin slightly, acknowledging his words. "Perhaps..." But then her head jerked back up. She looked him in the eye as if challenging him.

"But your time among men is not yet over, Emrys. Even if you want it to be." She looked towards the veil.

Confused, Merlin followed her gaze. What he saw, was something he would never be able to forget.

Lancelot was walking towards the veil. He glanced back to look at Merlin, a sad smile gracing his features. A scream made him look back into the black abyss beyond, his smile fading, before returning again and Lancelot walked the last few steps, arms thrown wide open. Embracing what was to come, he faded away.

"No... NO!" Merlin's desperate cry was too little, too late.

The veil flickered...

 _"NO!"_

And disappeared.

"... no..."

He was gone.

Lancelot was gone.

Gone.

Gone forever.

* * *

Merlin slid down the wall until he was seated on the floor, hugging his knees to his chest.

Not only did he sacrifice himself for all of them, but he even asked Percival to keep an eye out for him when he was gone. Kilgharrah had been correct when he had told them that Lancelot was 'the noblest of them all.'

It was so like him, to do something like that. It hurt.

Merlin wanted to stay there, right where he was, but with an enormous effort he got up anyway.

After all, he still had a prat to serve.

* * *

 **(A/N)-** I think you guys deserve an explanation. Not for the story but for me.

I'm really, _really_ sorry about the long waiting period for this update, but there's a lot going on. I'm in senior school, and homework is one issue, and my personal demons are another.

When people are little, everyone wishes that they could have anything they want, and when they get older, they wish that they were a millionaire. Skip another few years, and then they wish for a good career or job. For a long time, that's what I wanted too. But now... things have changed. I wish that people would just accept me for who I am!

Long story short, I have no legitimate friends, and if I were to describe life for me since the last time I published...

Crazy. Fucking. Shit.

I've also been sucked into the Marvel Spider-Man universe, and that's not helping this story whatsoever, but I am making an effort! :|

Honestly, I will promise this: The next update will NOT take this long! Not will it be nearly as short!

Seedsiz, you wonderful person! She made a drabble for this a couple of weeks back! It's actually really funny, so go check it out at her profile! It's chapter 25 of Seriously!

She's also my official beta for this story!

 **Edit- The scary thing is... I wasn't exaggerating when I said that life at the time was 'Crazy. Fucking. Shit.' either. I'm sorry that I haven't updated for so long, but...**

 **When I've heard and read people say things about having writer's block, or that hard times can affect your ability to keep churning out chapters, I always thought 'They can't be serious, it's not hard to just sit down and type, or pick up a pen and write words down.**

 **But now, since I've gone through them, I regret every single time I ever thought that, seeing as I can now better understand and come to grips with what they were going through, what they were trying to say...**

 **I will be updating this story soon! After reading and going through this, my inspiration and passion for this fic has begun to return!**

 **See you guys... Hopefully in the next chapter!**


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